Childhood maltreatment, PTSD and suicidal behavior among African American females

The independent and combined roles of childhood maltreatment (physical abus e, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect) and current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined in predicti ng nonfatal suicide attempts among 335 African American women. It was hypot hesized that suicide attempters (n = 157) would evidence higher rates of al l forms of childhood maltreatment and higher rates of current PTSD than con trols (n = 178). The authors predicted that women with both current PTSD an d a lifetime history of child maltreatment would be at greatest risk for ma king a nonfatal suicide attempt. Results revealed that current PTSD and all five forms of childhood maltreatment were independently related to risk fo r suicide attempts. PTSD in combination with any of the five forms of child hood maltreatment increased a woman's risk for making a nonfatal suicide at tempt. This suggests interventions designed to reduce suicidal behavior sho uld focus on women with PTSD and a history of child maltreatment.