Childhood maltreatment, object relations, and suicidal behavior in women

Findings from a study examining object relations (OR) as a mediator of the link between childhood maltreatment and suicidal behavior in a sample of pr edominantly low-income, African American women (suicide attempters: n = 53; nonattempters: n = 106) revealed that each OR dimension fully, yet differe ntially, mediated specific links between 5 types of childhood maltreatment (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and emotional and physical neglect) and suicide attempt status, The alienation subscale of 1 of the 2 OR measu res used was the most robust mediator, fully mediating the links between al l types of childhood maltreatment and suicide attempt status. For both chil dhood sexual abuse and physical neglect, the links with suicide attempt sta tus were fully mediated by 5 of 6 OR dimensions measured, whereas the other childhood maltreatment types (physical abuse, emotional abuse, and emotion al neglect) were fully mediated by just 1 or 2 OR dimensions. Research dire ctions and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.