Epidemiology of the Relationship Between Traumatic Experience and Suicidal Behaviors

Afifi, T.o., Enns, M.W., Cox, B.J., Asmundson, G.J.G., Stein,M.B., & Sareen, J. (2008). Population attributable fractionsof psychiatric disorders and suicide ideation and attemptsassociated with adverse childhood experiences. AmericanJournal of Public Health, 98, 946-952. We sought to determinethe fractions of psychiatric disorders and suicide ideation andattempts in a general population sample attributable to childhoodphysical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence.Data were obtained from the US National Comorbidity SurveyReplication. The estimated attributable fractions for psychiatricdisorders attributable to having experienced any adverse childhoodevent ranged from 22% to 32% among women and 20% to 24%among men. Having experienced any adverse event accountedfor a substantial proportion of suicide ideation and attemptsamong women (16% and 50%, respectively) and men (21% and33%, respectively). Substantial proportions of poor mental healthoutcomes were also attributable to increasing number of adverseevents. The estimated proportions of poor mental health outcomesattributed to childhood adversity were medium to large for menand women. Prevention efforts that reduce exposure to adversechildhood events could substantially reduce the prevalence ofpsychopathology and suicidal behavior in the general population.[abstract adapted] Blaauw, E., Arensman, E., Kraaij, V., Winkel, F.W., & Bout, R. (2002).Traumatic life events and suicide risk among jail inmates:The influence of types of events, time period and significantothers. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15, 9-16. Relationshipsbetween traumatic life events and suicide risk were studied intwo samples of jail inmates with a low (N = 216) and a high(N = 51) suicide risk. Although nonsuicidal inmates reported a highprevalence of traumatic life events, suicidal inmates reported evenhigher prevalence rates. Suicidal inmates reported more episodesof sexual abuse, physical maltreatment, emotional maltreatment,abandonment, and suicide attempts by significant others. Theyalso had experienced more traumatic life events during childhood,later life, and detention. It is concluded that traumatic life eventsare associated with suicide risk and that such an associationremains in a population with a high prevalence of traumatic lifeevents. It is also concluded that suicide risk is dependent of thetype of life event, the timing of the event, and the type of personsinvolved in the event. VolUME 19/No. 4 FAll 2008PAGE 3