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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: Although researchers have found that victimization is associated with adolescent suicidal ideation (SI), the mechanisms that explain this association remain unclear. This study prospectively examined the mediational roles of depressive and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in the association between cumulative victimization and SI in a large, diverse sample of adolescents at high risk for victimization.
METHOD: Data were collected from a multisite consortium of prospective studies, the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. Data about victimization experiences (i.e., physical and sexual abuse and witnessed familial and nonfamilial violence) were collected from caregiver reports and official child protective service records on 693 youth (55.8% female) from birth to age 16. Youth self-report measures for depressive and PTS symptoms were collected at age 16 and for SI at age 18.
RESULTS: Path analyses revealed a significant, positive relationship between cumulative victimization and elevated risk for SI. Further, findings indicated that depressive--but not PTS--symptoms mediated the association between cumulative victimization and the subsequent development of SI during adolescence. Analyses revealed the indirect effect of victimization on SI through depressive symptoms was moderated by gender, such that it was significant for female, but not male, participants.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the impactful role of depressive symptoms among at-risk adolescent females in the association between cumulative victimization and SI, highlighting the need for routine screening and referrals to evidence-based services for depressive symptoms. Prevention and intervention efforts that target depressive symptoms may be especially important for female adolescents who experience victimization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Language: en |