Adolescent suicidal behavior: associations with preadolescent physical abuse and selected risk and protective factors

To determine whether preadolescent physical abuse raises the risk of adolescent suicidal behavior, to examine potential mediators and moderators of the relationship between preadolescent abuse and adolescent suicidality, and to examine whether distal (preadolescent) risk factors add to proximal (adolescent) factors in predicting suicidality.

Seventy-five physically abused preadolescents on the New York City Maltreatment Register and 78 controls were studied at ages 10.5 and 16.5 years. Adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts and hypothesized risk and protective factors were assessed by self-report, parent interview, and teacher ratings. Data were analyzed by logistic regression.

Preadolescent physical abuse was a robust, largely unmediated, independent predictor of adolescent suicidality. Only adolescent internalizing problems mediated the relationship. No risk factors moderated the relationship. Adolescent attachment to parents and internalizing problems contributed independently to the prediction of suicidality risk in abused and control subjects. No preadolescent risk or protective factors added to the predictions beyond risk deriving from preadolescent abuse.

The association between preadolescent physical abuse and adolescent suicidality is largely unmediated and unmoderated by well-documented risk factors for suicidality. Therefore, comprehensive interventions to reduce abusive parenting must begin when families enter the child protection system, along with therapeutic interventions with the children and adolescents themselves.