Childhood trauma and suicide attempts in patients with unipolar depression

Although general population studies have reported that childhood trauma predisposes individuals to suicidal behavior, there have been few clinical studies in depressed patients. A series of 108 patients with unipolar depression were evaluated for their suicide attempt history and completed the 34-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Patients were also interviewed with the Brown-Goodwin Lifetime History of Aggression (BGLHA) scale. Out of 108 patients with depression, 47 (43.5%) had attempted suicide. Significantly more of the depressed patients who had attempted suicide were female, single, and unemployed. Patients who had attempted suicide had significantly higher total CTQ scores and higher CTQ scores for emotional abuse and emotional neglect, as well as higher BGLHA scores. Logistic regression identified being female, being unemployed, having undergone childhood emotional neglect, and high BGLHA scores as significantly associated with making a suicide attempt. Suicidal behavior in unipolar depression appears to be a multidetermined act, with sociodemographic, developmental, and personality determinants.