Cross-lagged effects between intimate partner violence victimization and suicidality from adolescence into adulthood

The current article extended previous research on the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and suicidality by longitudinally investigating their mutual impact from adolescence into early adulthood.

We analyzed data from a subsample (N= 4,675) of individuals with complete data on IPV victimization from Waves II (mean age = 16.41 years), III (mean age = 22.36 years), and IV (mean age = 28.85 years) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Suicidality was measured through questions assessing suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts during the past 12 months. IPV victimization was measured through a construct assessing whether individuals had experienced threat of violence, being pushed/shoved, or had something thrown at them during the past 12 (Waves III and IV) or 18 (Wave II) months.

Using a path analysis framework, we found that IPV victimization and suicidality were highly stable across time. Suicidality was associated with IPV victimization prospectively, but IPV victimization did not predict suicidality prospectively. This longitudinal effect was limited to adolescent suicidality predicting IPV in early adulthood, and this effect was not qualified by gender.

Although the findings from this study confirm the importance of considering concurrent IPV victimization in evaluating risk for suicidality, they also highlight the importance of considering a history of adolescent suicidality as an important risk marker for IPV victimization.