Factors Associated with Suicidal Behavior in Sexually Abused Adolescents

초록

Sexual abuse is widely acknowledged as a significant risk factor for suicidality. However, identifying specific characteristics associated with actual suicidal behavior among sexually abused adolescents remains an area requiring further exploration. This study aims to examine whether sexual abuse characteristics (duration, severity, and relationship with the perpetrator), previous maltreatment history, and psychiatric diagnoses (posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder) could predict suicide attempts among 131 adolescents (116 girls, 15 boys) aged 10-18 years in Korea who have experienced sexual abuse. Sexually abused adolescents were surveyed about their history of suicide attempts, the characteristics of the sexual abuse they experienced, and whether they experienced abuse or neglect before this sexual abuse. Suicide attempts were assessed using items from the Self-Harm Inventory (Sansone et al. 1998), and psychiatric diagnoses were made by psychiatrists based on DSM-5 (APA, 2013) criteria. When comparing youth who had never attempted suicide (93, 71%) to those who had (38, 29%), there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics. However, the suicide attempt group had higher rates of rape victimization, a more severe form of sexual abuse, and higher rates of prior maltreatment and depressive disorders. Logistic regression analyses with variables that showed group differences revealed that more severe sexual abuse and prior maltreatment were significant predictors of suicidal behavior among sexually abused adolescents. These findings emphasize the importance of identifying adolescents who have experienced more severe forms of sexual abuse or prior maltreatment. Special attention and targeted efforts should be given to this vulnerable population to mitigate the risk of suicidal behavior.