Is the end in the beginning? Child maltreatment increases the risk of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts through impaired personality functioning.
Adverse childhood experiences
Child maltreatment
Childhood trauma
Personality functioning
Self-harm
Suicide
Journal
Child abuse & neglect
ISSN: 1873-7757
Titre abrégé: Child Abuse Negl
Pays: England
ID NLM: 7801702
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
11 2022
11 2022
Historique:
received:
19
04
2022
revised:
18
07
2022
accepted:
31
08
2022
pubmed:
10
9
2022
medline:
28
9
2022
entrez:
9
9
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Child maltreatment is a risk factor for a range of mental disorders later in life, including dangerous self-harm and suicide attempts. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this association can inform prevention and intervention. To investigate personality functioning as a potential mediator of the association of childhood abuse and neglect and self-harm and suicide attempts in the general population. Data were drawn from a representative German population sample (N = 2510). Participants filled out the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), OPD Structure Questionnaire (OPD-SQS), and items of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI). In structural equation models, we operationalized impaired personality functioning as the mediator between childhood abuse and neglect and self-harm. Individuals with a history of self-harm (combining suicide attempts, N = 47, and non-suicidal self-injury, N = 83) reported more childhood abuse and neglect (d = 1.39, p < .001) and greater impairments in personality functioning (d = 1.64, p < .001) than the rest of the population. The indirect effect via personality functioning accounted for 48.8 % of the total effect of childhood abuse and neglect on self-harm. In more differentiated analyses, emotional abuse showed the strongest association with self-harm. Only physical and sexual abuse had direct effects. The results specify the relationship between child maltreatment and self-harm by demonstrating that it is partly mediated by basic functions of personality assessed using a dimensional measure. These abilities constitute modifiable risk factors that can be addressed by psychotherapy.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Child maltreatment is a risk factor for a range of mental disorders later in life, including dangerous self-harm and suicide attempts. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this association can inform prevention and intervention.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate personality functioning as a potential mediator of the association of childhood abuse and neglect and self-harm and suicide attempts in the general population.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
Data were drawn from a representative German population sample (N = 2510).
METHODS
Participants filled out the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), OPD Structure Questionnaire (OPD-SQS), and items of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI). In structural equation models, we operationalized impaired personality functioning as the mediator between childhood abuse and neglect and self-harm.
RESULTS
Individuals with a history of self-harm (combining suicide attempts, N = 47, and non-suicidal self-injury, N = 83) reported more childhood abuse and neglect (d = 1.39, p < .001) and greater impairments in personality functioning (d = 1.64, p < .001) than the rest of the population. The indirect effect via personality functioning accounted for 48.8 % of the total effect of childhood abuse and neglect on self-harm. In more differentiated analyses, emotional abuse showed the strongest association with self-harm. Only physical and sexual abuse had direct effects.
CONCLUSIONS
The results specify the relationship between child maltreatment and self-harm by demonstrating that it is partly mediated by basic functions of personality assessed using a dimensional measure. These abilities constitute modifiable risk factors that can be addressed by psychotherapy.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36084408
pii: S0145-2134(22)00404-5
doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105870
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
105870Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest None.