Associations between childhood abuse and interpersonal aggression and suicide attempt among U.S. adults in a national study

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 2014-08, Vol.38 (8), p.1389-1398
• Main Authors: Harford, Thomas C, Yi, Hsiao-ye, Grant, Bridget F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - psychology; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Age Distribution; Aggression; Aggression - psychology; Aggressiveness; Antisocial Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse - ethnology; Child Abuse - psychology; Child, Preschool; Childhood adversity; Childhood physical abuse; Emotional abuse; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Infant; Interpersonal aggression; Interpersonal Relations; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Middle Aged; Pediatrics; Prevalence; Psychiatric disorder; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Regression analysis; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Sexual Abuse; Suicide; Suicide attempt; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data; United States - epidemiology; Victimology; Violence; Violence - psychology; Violence - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.02.011

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine associations among childhood physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and violence toward self (suicide attempts [SA]) and others (interpersonal aggression [IA]). Data were obtained from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Waves 1 and 2 ( n = 34,653). Multinomial logistic regression examined associations between type of childhood abuse and violence categories, adjusting for demographic variables, other childhood adversity, and DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. The prevalence of reported childhood abuse was 4.60% for physical abuse, 7.83% for emotional abuse, and 10.20% for sexual abuse. Approximately 18% of adults reported some form of violent behavior, distributed as follows: IA, 13.37%; SA, 2.64%; and SA with IA, 1.85%. After adjusting for demographic variables, other childhood adversity, and psychiatric disorders, each type of childhood abuse was significantly related to increased risk for each violence category as compared with the no violence category. Furthermore, the odds ratio of childhood physical abuse was significantly higher for SA with IA when compared with IA, and the odds ratio of childhood sexual abuse was significantly higher for SA and SA with IA when compared with IA. Childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse is directly related to the risk for violent behaviors to self and others. Both internalizing and externalizing psychiatric disorders impact the association between childhood abuse and violence. The inclusion of suicidal behaviors and interpersonal aggression and internalizing/externalizing psychiatric disorders within an integrated conceptual framework will facilitate more effective interventions for long-lasting effects of child abuse.