Table 2.
Studies of child maltreatment and suicide attempts grouped by methodology and sample type
| Study | Sample (%f) | Suicide measures | Abuse measures | Covariates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-sectional, community samples | ||||
| Anteghini et al. (2001) | 2,059 (55.3) Ad, ages 13–17 from Brazil | Drawn from various national health surveys | SxA: drawn from various national health surveys | Not specified |
| Bagley et al. (1995) | 2,112 (49.8) Canadian middle-high school students, grades 7–12, ages 12–18 | Single question for frequency of SI and SB (SA and SG) | SxA: single question about frequency of SxA | Not specified |
| Bensley et al. (1999) | 4,790, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders from Washington State public schools | Questions for SI and SA used from YRBS | SxA: 1 question about unwanted sexual contact. PhA: 1 question about being abused or mistreated |
Age and grade |
| Buddeberg et al. (1996) | 1,937 (57.4) Swiss Ad aged 14–19. | Seven questions for assessing SI and SA adapted from MMPI-2; classified kids as NS, SI, SA | SxA: not specified | None |
| Chandy et al. (1996) | 1,959 (50.6) Ad, 7–12 grade from Ad health survey conducted in Minnesota (1986–1987) | Single question for SI and SA; created SR score by summing responses to SI and SA | SxA: single question for history of SxA | Intercorrelations among study variables |
| Darves-Bornoz et al. (1998) | 465 (74) SxA Ad from a larger school-based cohort in France, mean age 15.4 | Not specified | SxA: single question for frequency of SxA | Behavior symptoms |
| Eisenberg et al. (2007) | 83,731 (50.5) 6th, 9th, and 12th graders from 2004 Minnesota student survey | Single question for history of SI and SA | SxA: Single question for history of SxA by caregiver and single question for history of SxA for stranger | Grade, race, family structure |
| Fergusson et al. (1996) | 1,019 (NS), New Zealand birth Cohort, Christchurch Health and Development Study, ages 18 | Developed questions for frequency and severity of SI and SA | SxA: Single question assessed severity SxA | Family socio-demographic variables, family stability, parent–child relationships, parental adjustment |
| Fergusson et al. (2003) | 1,063 (49.8) New Zealand birth cohort, Christchurch Health and Development Study, ages 14–21 years | Developed questions for frequency and severity of SI and SA | SxA, PhA: Single question assessed severity SxA; Single question assessed severity of PhA | Depression |
| Garnefski and Arends (1998) | 1,490 (80) Ad, ages 12–19, secondary schools in the Netherlands | Single question for frequency of SI and SA | SxA: single question for history | None |
| Glowinski et al. (2001) | 3,416 (100) f twins, ages 13, 15, 16, and 19 from the Missouri Ad F Twin Study | Suicidal thoughts and behaviors section of the MOAFTS | SxA, PhA: single question for each | Psychiatric diagnoses |
| Grossman et al. (1991) | 7,241 (51) Ad, median age 14.4 | Single question for history of SA | SxA, PhA: Single question for history of each | Age and sex |
| Hacker et al. (2006) | 1,192 ninth graders; 1,055 11th graders | Single question from YRBS for frequency of SA in the past 12 months | SxA, PhA, EmA: single question from YRBS for history of each | Grade, age, and sex |
| Kaplan et al. (1999) | 99 (50) physically abused Ad, community sample of 99 (50) non-abused Ad, ages 12–18 | Subscale from SPS measuring current SI | PhA: substantiated reports | Not specified |
| Kisiel and Lyons (2001) | 114 (52) children and Ad, ages 10–18 | YSR | SxA, PhA: HAF | Dissociation |
| Locke and Newcomb (2005) | 349 (0) young Latino Ms, ages 13–30 (mean 19 years) | Developed 6 questions measuring history of SI and SA | SxA, PhA, EmA, and N: CTQ | None |
| Lynskey and Fergusson (1997) | Birth cohort of 1,025 New Zealand Children, aged 18 years, Christ Church Health and Development Study | CIDI: asked questions about SA from age 16–18 | SxA: developed interview to assess SxA before age 16 | Not specified |
| Martin et al. (2004) | 2,485 (44.5) South Australian Ad, mean age 14 | Single question for history SI and frequency of SA | SxA: Developed question assessing history | Depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and family functioning |
| Rew et al. (2001) | 10,059 (64.5) middle/high school age 12–18 | Single question from MAHS for SA in the last 12 months | SxA, PhA: Single question for each from the MAHS | Sex |
| Gex et al. (1998) | 9,268 (43), 15–20 year olds from Switzerland | SA: question from the YRBS | SxA: not specified | Not specified |
| Riggs et al. (1990) | 600 (52) Ad, grades 9–12 | Single question for history of SA | SxA, PhA: single question for history of each | Not specified |
| Rosenberg et al. (2005) | 16,644 (51) Ad from community sample, part of YRBS, ages 13–18 | Single question from YRBS for SI and SA in the past 12 months | SxA, PhA: single questions from the YRBS for each | Sex |
| Borowsky et al. (1999) | 11,666 (52.1), 7th–12th grade American Indian and Alaska native youth | SA: 1 question from NAIAHS | SxA, PhA: 1 item each from NAIAHS | Age |
| Waldrop et al. (2007) | 3,906 (48.7) Ad ages 12–17, household probability sample via telephone | Single question for SI and SA | SxA, PhA: Several questions developed for each | Race, age, sex, socioeconomic status, family alcohol, and drug use problems |
| Zoroglu et al. (2003) | 839 (61.1) Ad in early high school | Non specified questions for SA | SxA, PhA, EmA, N: CANQ | Not specified |
| Longitudinal, community samples | ||||
| Brezo et al. (2008) | 1631 (47.5) French Canadian school-based cohort, followed from childhood to young adulthood for approx. 13 years | Single question for history of SI; SA assessed by DISC-2 | SxA: CSAS. PhA: CTS-R | Disruptive behavior and sex |
| Brown et al. (1999) | 639 (47.7) randomly selected from 776 families in upstate NY counties (children), followed 17 years | DISC | SxA, PhA, N: substantiated cases | Sex, ethnicity, IQ, temperament, serious mental illness, anger, dissatisfaction, external locus of control, sociopathy, low religious participation, teenage pregnancy, single parenthood, welfare support, low family income, large family size, maternal factors (education, low self-esteem, low involvement), paternal factors (low involvement and low warmth), and poor marital quality of parents |
| Fergusson et al. (2000) | 965 (49.8) New Zealand birth cohort, Christchurch Health and Development Study, 15–21 years, followed for 21 years | Single question for SA asked at age 15, 16, 18, 21; Several questions for nature, frequency, and reasons for SI | SxA, PhA: developed several questions for PhA by caregiver and nature and frequency of SxA | Mental health and life events |
| Johnson et al. (2002) | 659 families from Children in the Community Study (New York), followed for 28 years | DISC | SxA, PhA: substantiated cases | Age, sex, psychiatric symptoms during childhood and early adolescence, and parental psychiatric symptoms |
| Plunkett et al. (2001) | 183, 4–15 years, presented at two Child Protection units, followed for 9 years | Unspecified self-report questionnaire measured SI and SA; death records for SC | SxA: substantiated cases | Not specified |
| Salzinger et al. (2007) | 100 (35) physically abused, 100 non-abused classmates, mean age 10.56 years (followed up 6 years later: 78 abused, 75 non-abused) | Questions from the YRBS for SI and SA | PhA: substantiated yes or no history | Sex |
| Silverman et al. (1996) | 375 (49.9) registered kindergartners in US public school located in working class community, followed for 17 years | 2 items from CDI for SI; 2 questions from DIS-III-R for SA | SxA, PhA: single question for each | None |
| Swanston et al. (1997) | 84 (76.2) sexually abused, 84 matched controls, ages 5–15 (68 SxA; 75 controls at follow-up), followed for 5 years | Developed questions for SI and SA | SxA: substantiated cases | Age, sex, follow-up lag time, socioeconomic status, number of parent changes, family functioning, mother’s mental health, and number of negative life events |
| Clinical/high-risk, cross-sectional samples | ||||
| Beautrais et al. (1996) | 129 (54.3) medically serious SA and 153 controls, consecutively admitted to Christchurch Hospital, ages 13–24 | Did not specify questions used to assess history of SA | SxA, PhA: developed questions to assess for history of each | Adverse childhood experiences |
| Brand et al. (1996) | 24 (100) depressed, sexually abused, 24 control inpatient Ad, ages 13–17 | SIQ; SSB | SxA: adapted questions from WSHI | Not specified |
| Deykin and Buka (1994) | 300 (25.3) Ad receiving treatment for dependence on alcohol or other drugs, ages 15–19 | DIS-III-R | SxA, PhA: single question for history | Sex |
| Esposito and Clum (2002) | 200 (29.5) delinquent youth, ages 12–17 | MSSI; SSB | SxA, PhA: CAS | Sex |
| Grilo et al. (1999) | 322 (57.5) nearly consecutive adolescent inpatients, ages 13–19 years | SRS | SxA, PhA: childhood abuse scale of the MACI | BDI scores and age |
| Harrison et al. (1989) | 1,415 (31.4) substance abusing Ad, mean age 15.9 | Not specified | SxA: single question for history | Not specified |
| Kurtz et al. (1991) | 2,019 runaway youth, from the southeast US | Clinical information database | SxA, PhA: clinical information database | Not specified |
| Laederach et al. (1999) | 148 (80) SA Ad, ages 15–19, emergency unit of University Hospital | SCID | SxA: SCID | Sex |
| Lyon et al. (2000) | 38 (82.2) African-American adolescent suicide attempters and 76 controls, ages 12–18, inner-city hospital inpatients | PCC | SxA, PhA, N: PCC | Not specified |
| Matsumoto et al. (2009) | 135 delinquent youth ages, 15–17 (control group of 316 non-delinquent HS students) (16.3) | Single question for SI and SA | SxA: single question | None |
| Molnar et al. (1998) | 775 (35) Street youth, ages 12–19 from NYC, Denver, and SF | Single question for SI; several questions for history of SA | SxA, PhA: single question for each | Recruitment site differences and ethnicity |
| Robinson et al. (2009) | 661 (65.7) inpatients receiving Tx for psychosis | SCID | SxA: PAS | Length of time in treatment |
| Ryan et al. (2000) | 329 (42) homeless Ad; mean age 16.44 | DISC | SxA, PhA: developed questions to assess for history of each | Care from mother and emotional support |
| Shaunesey et al. (1993) | 62 non-abused, 55 abused Ad (56.4) ages, 13–18 consecutively admitted to hospital inpatient | SA—clinical intake chart. SI—SIQ, SIS |
SxA, PhA: clinical intake charts, low- and high-frequency groups | Not specified |
| Yoder (1999) | 527 (60) runaway and homeless Ad from Midwestern states, ages 2–21 | Did not specify questions used during an interview to assess SI and SA | SxA, PhA: CTS-R | Not specified |
| Clinical, longitudinal sample | ||||
| Brent et al. (1993) | 133 (35) psychiatric inpatients, ages 13–18 | SCS | SxA, PhA: K-SADS, LES | Not specified |
SI suicidal ideation, SA suicide attempt, SB suicidal behaviors (author does not differentiate actual attempt from non-suicidal self-harm), SR suicide risk (author uses a measure of cumulative risk and does not differentiate specific thoughts/behaviors), SxA sexual abuse, PhA physical abuse, N neglect, EmA emotional abuse, Ad adolescents, YRBS Youth Risk Behavior Survey, MMPI-2 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, MOAFTS Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study, SPS Suicide Probability Scale, YSR Youth Self-Report, CIDI Composite International Diagnostic Interview, MAHS Minnesota Adolescent Health Survey, NAIAHS National American Indian Adolescent Health Survey, DISC Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, CDI Child’s Depression Inventory, DIS-III-R NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule, Version IIIR, SIQ Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, SSB Scale of Suicidal Behavior, MSSI Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation, SRS Suicide Risk Scale, SCID Structured Clinical Interview (DSM-III-R or DSM-IV), PCC Psychiatric Consultation Checklist, SIS Suicide Intent Scale, SCS Suicide Circumstances Schedule, HAF History of Abuse Form, CTQ Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CANQ Childhood Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire, CSAS Child Sexual Abuse Scale, CTS-R Conflict Tactics Scale-Revised, WSHI Wyatt Sexual History Interview, CAS Child Abuse Survey, MACI Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory, PAS Pre-morbid Adjustment Scale, K-SADS Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, LES Life Events Scale, BDI Beck Depression Inventory, Not specified authors did not specify which (if any) variables in multivariate analyses were included as covariates