The association between childhood maltreatment subtypes and current suicide risk among homeless men and women

Child Maltreat. 2012 May;17(2):132-43. doi: 10.1177/1077559512439350. Epub 2012 May 1.

Abstract

This study explored self-reports of five childhood maltreatment (CM) subtypes and their associations with current suicide risk in a sample of 500 homeless persons. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Individual, unique, and cumulative associations of CM subtypes and subtype combinations with suicide risk (no vs. low vs. moderate/high) were examined. In multivariate analyses, four of the five CM subtypes were associated with suicide risk in individual models, but not in a model that included all CM subtypes. The strongest associations were found for reports of multitype CM involving all five subtypes. Mental disorders and female sex were independently associated with suicide risk. Clinicians working with CM victims should be aware that homeless clients are likely to report multitype maltreatment and should assess a variety of CM experiences. Future studies need to further examine multitype maltreatment and suicidal behaviors in homeless populations with complex conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Canada
  • Child
  • Child Abuse / classification
  • Child Abuse / psychology*
  • Child Abuse / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ill-Housed Persons / psychology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk
  • Suicide / psychology*
  • Suicide / statistics & numerical data
  • Suicide, Attempted / psychology*
  • Suicide, Attempted / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires