Citation

Ryan AT, Daruwala SE, Perera KU, Lee-Tauler SY, Tucker J, Grammer G, Weaver J, Ghahramanlou-Holloway M. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020; 17(8): e2729.

Affiliation

Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph17082729

PMID

32326534

Abstract

Suicide attempts and psychiatric hospitalization represent the final outcomes of a complex dynamical system of interacting factors that influence a particular individual's likelihood of engaging in suicidal behavior, as well as their ability to seek help prior to acting upon suicidal impulses. This study examined the association between different types of lifetime trauma exposure and the likelihood of psychiatric hospitalization following a suicide attempt (SA) rather than suicidal ideation (SI) alone. Electronic medical records for 1100 U.S. military service members and their dependents admitted to a military psychiatric inpatient setting for SA or SI were reviewed for documented lifetime trauma exposure history.

FINDINGS indicated that exposure to at least one childhood trauma of any type, and childhood neglect in particular, increased the likelihood that an individual would be hospitalized for SA rather than SI. Exploratory gender-stratified analyses demonstrated that childhood neglect, childhood sexual abuse, and adulthood traumatic loss may be linked with the likelihood of being hospitalized for SA. These findings demonstrate the importance of developing more detailed and nuanced conception of factors known to be associated with suicide as their effects may depend on details of their timing and nature, as well as their interactions with other systems.

Language: en

Keywords

adverse childhood experience; military; psychiatric hospitalization; suicide; trauma