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Cited by 31Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesHomicide, Infanticide, and Child AbuseChild Abuse and Trauma

Childhood predictors of lifetime suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury in depressed adults

Johnstone, Jeanette M, Carter, Janet D, Luty, Suzanne E, Mulder, Roger T, Frampton, Christopher M, Joyce, Peter R·2016·Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
DOI 10.1177/0004867415585581
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Abstract

Objective: Adverse childhood experiences are well-recognized risk factors for a variety of mental health issues, including depression, suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury. However, less is known about whether childhood adversity, in the form of low parental care, overprotection and abuse, is associated with suicide attempt and non-suicidal self-injury within a sample of depressed adults. Method: The sample of outpatients ( n = 372) was drawn from two randomized depression trials. Childhood adversity variables, depression severity, age of first depressive episode (major depression episode onset), lifetime suicide attempt and non-suicidal self-injury were recorded at baseline. The association between variables and outcome measures was examined using partial correlations, univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Results: Low maternal care was significantly associated with suicide attempt; low paternal care was associated with non-suicidal self-injury; overprotection was not associated with either outcome. Other risk factors for suicide attempt were major depression episode onset and baseline depression severity. Major depression episode onset was also a risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury. Abuse, regardless of how it was measured, was not significantly associated with either behaviour after adjusting for its correlations with low maternal or paternal care. Conclusion: In this sample of depressed adults, the quality of ongoing, intra-familial relationships, as measured by levels of parental care, had a greater impact on suicide attempt and non-suicidal self-injury than abuse. As the findings were not a priori hypotheses, they require replication. Although the cross-sectional study design limits causal determination, the findings suggest different childhood risk factors for suicide attempt and non-suicidal self-injury and underscore the impact of low parental care on these two behaviours. These findings signal to clinicians the importance of asking specifically about suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury, as well as levels of parental care in childhood. When endorsed, low parental care may be considered an important factor in contextualizing a patient’s depression and potential risk for suicide and non-suicidal self-injury.

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Authors
Johnstone, J. M., Carter, J. D., Luty, S. E., Mulder, R. T., Frampton, C. M., & Joyce, P. R.
Affiliations
  • Oregon Health & Science University (US)
  • University of Canterbury (NZ)
  • University of Otago (NZ)
Corresponding author
Johnstone, Jeanette M
ORCID
Venue
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2015-05-21
Volume
50
Issue
2
Pages
135-144
ISSN
  • 0004-8674 (ISSN-L)
  • 1440-1614
DOI
10.1177/0004867415585581
OpenAlex
W1916379429
Cited by
31
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4
FWCI
3.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
Keywords
childhood adversity, suicide attempts, non-suicidal self-injury, depression, parental care, paternal care, overprotection, childhood abuse, depression severity, suicide risk factors
MeSH terms
Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Cross-Sectional Studies, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Maternal Behavior, Parent-Child Relations, Risk Factors, Suicide, Attempted, Multivariate Analysis, Logistic Models, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Age of Onset, Young Adult

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