Suicidal thoughts and behaviours in former sexual abuse victims.

Abstract

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent suicidality was examined in 195 women presenting to the Crisis Intervention program of a community health centre. As predicted, former sexual abuse victims were considerably more likely to have made at least one suicide attempt in the past (55%) than were non-abused clients (23%), and were more likely to report suicidal ideation upon intake. Rirther analysis revealed that sexual abuse was specifically associated with suicide attempts which occurred in childhood or adolescence. Among former sexual abuse victims, greater suicidality was correlated with multiple perpetrators, concurrent physical abuse, and sexual intercourse. Childhood sexual abuse is hypothesized to result in lowered self-esteem, guilt and self-blame, perceived powerlessness, and interpersonal dysfunction all of which may lead to increased selfdestructiveness. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Recent research on the incidence and effects of childhood sexual abuse challenges long-held assumptions and beliefs concerning sexual molestation. Current data suggests, for example, that approximately 1/5 to 1/3 of adult women have experienced sexual abuse during childhood or adolescence (Bagley & Ramsay, 1985; Briere & Runtz, 1985; Finkelhor, 1979; Russell, 1983), and that such victimization is often associated with enduring psychological dysfunction (see Browne & Finkelhor, 1986, for a review of these studies). Among other problems, long-term sequelae of sexual abuse appear to include depression, guilt, poor self-esteem, and feelings of inferiority (e.g., Brickman & Briere, 1984; Briere, 1984; Briere & Runtz, 1985; Herman, 1981; Jehu, Gazan, & Klassen, 1985; Meiselman, 1978; Peters, 1984; Tsai & Wagner, 1978), as well as interpersonal problems, delinquency, and substance abuse (e.g., Briere, 1984; Courtois, 1979; Herman, 1981; Tsai, Feldman-Summers, & Edgar, 1979; Benward & Densen-Gerber, 1975; Peters, 1984; Runtz & Briere, in press). Given such effects, it is probably not surprising that clinicians and researchers in this area cite self-destructiveness as a common problem among sexual abuse Portions of this paper were presented at the annuai meeting of the American Association of Suicidology, Toronto, 1985. The authors wish to thank the staff and management of Klinic, Inc., Community Health Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, for their support of this project. Thanks are also due Ms. April Lightfoot for her help as a research assistant. Address reprint requests and correspondence to John Briere, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychiatry, Building 1-South, Harbor-U.C.L. A. Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St., Torrance, CA 90509. CANAD. J. BEHAV. SCI./REV. CANAD. SCI. COMP. 18(4), 1986