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Longitudinal associations between violence and suicidality from adolescence into adulthood
Manfred Van Dulmen1, Andrea Mata, Shannon Claxton
1Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|June 4, 2013
Summary
Violence and suicidality mutually influence each other across adolescence and young adulthood. This longitudinal study reveals that violence predicts future suicide, and suicidality predicts future violence, especially in males.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- The link between violence and suicide is established, but prior research often uses cross-sectional designs.
- Previous studies primarily view violence as a precursor to suicide, limiting understanding of the bidirectional relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between violence and suicide from adolescence into young adulthood.
- To determine if suicidality predicts future violence, extending previous research.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 8,966) across three waves (1995-2008).
- Employed path analysis models in Mplus to analyze longitudinal associations between violence and suicidality.
Main Results:
- Violence and suicidality demonstrate a mutual influence from adolescence through young adulthood.
- The association between suicidality and violence was more pronounced in males than females, particularly in early and young adulthood.
- Confirmed violence as a risk factor for future suicide and established suicidality as a risk factor for future violence.
Conclusions:
- Violence and suicidality are dynamically linked across development, necessitating integrated prevention strategies.
- Findings underscore the importance of addressing both violence and suicidality concurrently in adolescent and young adult populations.
- Highlights the need for interventions that consider the reciprocal nature of violence and suicidal behaviors.
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