Published online Mar 19, 2022. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i3.483
Peer-review started: August 17, 2021
First decision: October 17, 2021
Revised: October 23, 2021
Accepted: February 19, 2022
Article in press: February 19, 2022
Published online: March 19, 2022
Existing literature suggests a positive link between childhood maltreatment (CM) and suicide ideation (SI). Nevertheless, whether social support significantly mediates this association remains unknown.
To investigate whether social support significantly mediates the association between CM and SI.
In this cross-sectional study of 4732 adolescents from southwest China, we intended to discuss the association between CM and multiple types of SI. In addition, the mediation of major types of social support in this association was also investigated. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data. A series of multivariate logistic regression models were employed to estimate the association between different types of CM, social support, and SI. The possible mediation of social support in the association between CM and SI was assessed using the path model.
Based on the cutoffs for subscales of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, 928 (19.61%), 1269 (26.82%), 595 (12.57%), 2337 (49.39%), and 3067 (64.81%) respo
Our findings suggest that improving parental social support might be effective in preventing suicidal risk related to childhood emotional maltreatment in adolescents.
Core Tip: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with suicide ideation (SI). In the current study, we investigated the mediating role of social support in the association between CM and SI in a large sample (4732) of Chinese children and adolescents. Our results revealed a strong association between emotional CM and SI. In addition, only parental social support has been presented as a significant mediator in the association between emotional maltreatment and SI. The current study highlighted the intervention relevance of parental social support in emotional CM associated with suicidal risk. Rebuilding the parent-child relationship may be a promising way in preventing emotional CM-related suicide.