Abstract
The present study examines the association of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to suicidal behavior and mortality in 508
Finnish adolescents (aged 12–17 years) who required acute psychiatric hospitalization between April 2001 and March 2006. The
Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime (K-SADS-PL) and the European
Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI) were used to obtain information about ACEs, adolescents’ suicidal behavior and psychiatric
diagnoses. The cases of death were obtained from Statistics Finland. The results of our study indicated that, among girls,
exposure to sexual abuse statistically significantly increased the risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) (OR, 1.8; 95 %
CI, 1.0–3.2) and suicide attempts (OR, 2.3; 95 % CI, 1.0–4.5). The cumulative number of ACEs was also associated with an increased
risk of NSSI (OR, 1.2; 95 % CI, 1.0- 1.4) and suicide attempts (OR, 1.2; 95 % CI, 1.0–1.4) in girls. Among all deceased adolescents,
ACEs were most notable among those who had died due to accidents and injuries. Gender differences in the types of ACEs were
noted and discussed.
Finnish adolescents (aged 12–17 years) who required acute psychiatric hospitalization between April 2001 and March 2006. The
Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime (K-SADS-PL) and the European
Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI) were used to obtain information about ACEs, adolescents’ suicidal behavior and psychiatric
diagnoses. The cases of death were obtained from Statistics Finland. The results of our study indicated that, among girls,
exposure to sexual abuse statistically significantly increased the risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) (OR, 1.8; 95 %
CI, 1.0–3.2) and suicide attempts (OR, 2.3; 95 % CI, 1.0–4.5). The cumulative number of ACEs was also associated with an increased
risk of NSSI (OR, 1.2; 95 % CI, 1.0- 1.4) and suicide attempts (OR, 1.2; 95 % CI, 1.0–1.4) in girls. Among all deceased adolescents,
ACEs were most notable among those who had died due to accidents and injuries. Gender differences in the types of ACEs were
noted and discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Contribution
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s00787-012-0311-8
- Authors
- Reetta Isohookana, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Kaisa Riala, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Helinä Hakko, Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 26, 90229 OYS Oulu, Finland
- Pirkko Räsänen, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Online ISSN 1435-165X
- Print ISSN 1018-8827