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Findings of a study indicate that children who experience poor
parenting or child abuse may have difficulty in developing social skills that are
essential for healthy peer and adult relationships. Researchers interviewed families in
upstate New York over a period of almost twenty years to study factors which led to an
increased risk of suicide attempts. They examined childhood adversities, interpersonal
difficulties and caregivers' parenting techniques as possible risk factors for suicide in
late adolescence or early adulthood.
Methods
A community sample of 659 families was interviewed seven times from 1975 to 1993. By the
end of the study, the average age of the offspring was 22 years old.
Researchers compared demographic characteristics, maladaptive parental behavior, parents'
psychiatric symptoms and substance abuse. They also reviewed the parents' health and
educational levels, any evidence of abuse of the children, and negative life events such
as serious legal, interpersonal or financial problems.
Results
Twenty-three individuals, 3 percent, for whom there was no evidence of previous suicide
attempts reported that they had attempted suicide when they were interviewed for the last
time. Overall, 6 percent reported attempted suicide during adolescence or early adulthood.
Researchers found that serious fights with family members were the only life events that
were significantly associated with offspring risk for suicide attempts after all the
covariates were controlled. Other types of severe interpersonal difficulties, such as lack
of close friends and frequent arguments with adults in authority, were also significantly
associated with risk for suicide attempts.
Twenty, 87%, of the young adults who reported suicide attempts had experienced a high
level of maladaptive parenting or abuse during childhood, and/or a high level of
interpersonal difficulties during middle adolescence.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that children who experience poor parenting or child abuse may have
difficulty in developing social skills that are essential for healthy peer and adult
relationships. Without these skills, youths become isolated or relate to others in an
antagonistic manner, which may contribute to the onset of despair, hopelessness and
suicidal behavior.
The authors stated that young people who are at an elevated risk for suicide may benefit
most from psychotherapeutic interventions that help them to overcome their prolonged
history of severe interpersonal difficulties.
Inquiries: Jeffrey G. Johnson, PhD, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside
Dr, Unit 60, New York, NY 10032. Email: jjohnso@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu
Source: Archive of General Psychiatry. 2002;59:741-749
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