Childhood trauma and suicide: associations between impulsivity, executive functioning and stress

Tools

Rogerson, O., Baguley, T. ORCID: 0000-0002-0477-2492 and O'Connor, D.B., 2022. Childhood trauma and suicide: associations between impulsivity, executive functioning and stress. Crisis - The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. ISSN 0227-5910 (Forthcoming)

Text
1591997_Baguley.pdf - Post-print
Restricted to Repository staff only
Download (1MB)

Abstract

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide and childhood trauma has been found to be an important risk factor. However, the mechanisms linking trauma to suicide risk remain unclear.

Aims: The current registered report sought to: i) investigate whether childhood trauma (and its subtypes) were related to suicide risk in adulthood and, ii) explore the potential mechanisms associating childhood trauma with suicide and wellbeing; specifically executive functioning, impulsivity and stress.

Method: A cross-sectional survey of 457 individuals who reported experiencing suicide ideation in the past 12 months.

Results: Childhood trauma and its subtypes were associated with an increased risk of reporting recent suicide thoughts, COVID-related suicide attempts and recent suicide attempts. There were also significant indirect effects of childhood trauma on recent suicide ideation and wellbeing through executive functioning and impulsivity.

Conclusion: These findings show that childhood trauma is associated with suicide risk in adulthood and suggest that poorer executive functioning and higher levels of impulsivity contribute to this increased risk. These results have implications for the development of future interventions to reduce suicide vulnerability.

Item Type:

Journal article

Publication Title:

Crisis - The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention

Creators:

Rogerson, O., Baguley, T. and O'Connor, D.B.

Publisher:

Hogrefe

Date:

4 September 2022

ISSN:

0227-5910