Hidden Scars – Parental Domestic Violence Disturbs Childhood

The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among adults who had been exposed to chronic parental domestic violence during childhood was 17.3% compared to 2.3% among those without this childhood adversity, according to a new study by the University of Toronto. The study is published in the journal Child: Care, Health and Development.

“Those exposed to chronic parental domestic violence still had more than twice the odds of having attempted suicide even in the absence of childhood sexual or physical abuse, or by mental illness and substance abuse," reported lead author Prof. Esme Fuller-Thomson, Sandra Rotman Endowed Chair at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and Institute for Life Course and Aging.

The study examined a nationally representative sample of 22,559 community-dwelling Canadians, using data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health. Parental domestic violence was defined as "chronic" if it had occurred more than 10 times before the respondent was age 16.

"Those who had been maltreated during their childhood were also more likely to have attempted suicide, with 16.9% of those sexually abused and 12.4% of those physically abuse having made at least one suicide attempt" reported Reshma Dhrodia, a recent MSW graduate of the University of Toronto.

A history of major depressive disorder quadrupled the odds of suicide attempts. A history of anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and/or chronic pain approximately doubled the odds of suicide attempts.

These four factors accounted for only 10% of the association between suicide attempts and parental domestic violence, but almost half of the association between suicide attempts and childhood sexual abuse or physical abuse.

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This suggests that professionals working with survivors of childhood adversities should consider a wide range of interventions addressing mental illness, substance abuse, and chronic pain.

Source-Medindia