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Adolescent Victimization and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Genetically Sensitive Cohort Study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Baldwin, JR; Arseneault, L; Caspi, A; Moffitt, TE; Fisher, HL; Odgers, CL; Ambler, A; Houts, RM; Matthews, T; Ougrin, D; Richmond-Rakerd, LS ...
Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
May 2019

Victimized adolescents have an increased risk of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. However, poor understanding of causal and non-causal mechanisms underlying this observed risk limits the development of interventions to prevent premature death in adolescents. This study tested whether pre-existing family-wide and individual vulnerabilities account for victimized adolescents' increased risk of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors.Participants were 2,232 British children followed from birth to 18 years of age as part of the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study. Adolescent victimization (maltreatment, neglect, sexual victimization, family violence, peer/sibling victimization, cyber victimization, and crime victimization) was assessed through interviews with participants and co-informant questionnaires at the 18-year assessment. Suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempt in adolescence were assessed through interviews with participants at 18 years.Victimized adolescents had an increased risk of suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] 2.40, 95% CI 2.11-2.74), self-harm (OR 2.38, 95% CI 2.10-2.69), and suicide attempt (OR 3.14, 95% CI 2.54-3.88). Co-twin control and propensity score matching analyses showed that these associations were largely accounted for by pre-existing familial and individual vulnerabilities, respectively. Over and above their prior vulnerabilities, victimized adolescents still showed a modest increase in risk for suicidal ideation (OR 1.45, 95%CI 1.10-1.91) and self-harm (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.18-1.91) but not for suicide attempt (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.83-1.98).Risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in victimized adolescents is explained only in part by the experience of victimization. Pre-existing vulnerabilities account for a large proportion of the risk. Therefore, effective interventions to prevent premature death in victimized adolescents should not only target the experience of victimization but also address pre-existing vulnerabilities.

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Published In

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1527-5418

ISSN

0890-8567

Publication Date

May 2019

Volume

58

Issue

5

Start / End Page

506 / 513

Related Subject Headings

  • United Kingdom
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Suicide, Attempted
  • Suicide
  • Suicidal Ideation
  • Self-Injurious Behavior
  • Risk Factors
  • Propensity Score
  • Peer Group
  • Male
 

Citation

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Baldwin, J. R., Arseneault, L., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Fisher, H. L., Odgers, C. L., … Danese, A. (2019). Adolescent Victimization and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Genetically Sensitive Cohort Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(5), 506–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.07.903
Baldwin, Jessie R., Louise Arseneault, Avshalom Caspi, Terrie E. Moffitt, Helen L. Fisher, Candice L. Odgers, Antony Ambler, et al. “Adolescent Victimization and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Genetically Sensitive Cohort Study.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 58, no. 5 (May 2019): 506–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.07.903.
Baldwin JR, Arseneault L, Caspi A, Moffitt TE, Fisher HL, Odgers CL, et al. Adolescent Victimization and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Genetically Sensitive Cohort Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2019 May;58(5):506–13.
Baldwin, Jessie R., et al. “Adolescent Victimization and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Genetically Sensitive Cohort Study.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 58, no. 5, May 2019, pp. 506–13. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.07.903.
Baldwin JR, Arseneault L, Caspi A, Moffitt TE, Fisher HL, Odgers CL, Ambler A, Houts RM, Matthews T, Ougrin D, Richmond-Rakerd LS, Takizawa R, Danese A. Adolescent Victimization and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Genetically Sensitive Cohort Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2019 May;58(5):506–513.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1527-5418

ISSN

0890-8567

Publication Date

May 2019

Volume

58

Issue

5

Start / End Page

506 / 513

Related Subject Headings

  • United Kingdom
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Suicide, Attempted
  • Suicide
  • Suicidal Ideation
  • Self-Injurious Behavior
  • Risk Factors
  • Propensity Score
  • Peer Group
  • Male