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Childhood determinants of suicidality: comparing males in military and civilian employed populations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2018

Rebecca Syed Sheriff Open the ORCID record for Rebecca Syed Sheriff [Opens in a new window] ,
Miranda Van Hooff ,
Gin Malhi ,
Blair Grace  and
Alexander McFarlane
Rebecca Syed Sheriff*
Affiliation:
Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (CTSS), Level 1, Helen Mayo North, 30 Frome Road, University of Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Miranda Van Hooff
Affiliation:
Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (CTSS), Level 1, Helen Mayo North, 30 Frome Road, University of Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
Gin Malhi
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, NSW, Australia Sydney Medical School Northern, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia CADE Clinic, Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
Blair Grace
Affiliation:
Department of Education and Child Development, 31 Flinders St, Adelaide, Australia
Alexander McFarlane
Affiliation:
Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (CTSS), Level 1, Helen Mayo North, 30 Frome Road, University of Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Rebecca Syed Sheriff, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

To better understand the associations of childhood trauma and childhood disorder with past-year suicidality (thoughts, plans or attempts), we compared male military and civilian populations aged 18–60 years old.

Methods

Data derived from the 2010 Australian Defence Force (ADF) Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study and the 2007 Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing were compared using logistic regression and Generalized Structural Equation Modelling (GSEM).

Results

A greater proportion of the ADF experienced suicidality than civilians. Those who experienced childhood trauma that was not interpersonal in nature were not at increased odds of suicidality, in either population. A higher proportion of the ADF experienced three or more types of trauma in childhood and first experienced three or more types of trauma in adulthood. Both were associated with suicidality in the ADF and civilians. Childhood anxiety had a strong and independent association with suicidality in the ADF (controlling for demographics and childhood trauma, adult trauma and adult onset disorder). Childhood anxiety fully mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidality in the ADF, but not in civilians.

Conclusions

These data highlight the need to take a whole life approach to understanding suicidality, and the importance of categorizing the nature of childhood trauma exposure. Importantly, childhood anxiety was not only associated with suicidality, it fully mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidality in the more trauma exposed (military) population only. These findings have the potential to inform the development of strategies for suicide prevention.

Keywords

Epidemiologychildhood mental disorderchildhood traumasuicidality
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 49 , Issue 14 , October 2019 , pp. 2421 - 2431
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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