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The association of sexual assault and attempted suicide within the community.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Davidson, JR; Hughes, DC; George, LK; Blazer, DG
Published in: Arch Gen Psychiatry
June 1996

BACKGROUND: Lifetime community rates of attempted suicide were compared between those who reported a history of sexual assault and a control group without such a history. METHODS: The 2918 respondents in the Duke University Epidemiological Catchment Area Study were placed into groups with reported sexual assault (n = 67) and those with no known history of such (n = 2851). Multivariate and bivariate procedures were used to examine the relation between sexual assault and attempted suicide. RESULTS: Subjects reporting a history of sexual assault were more likely to be female, younger, and to report higher rates of lifetime suicide attempt and post-traumatic stress symptoms; no differences were found in the number of chronic medical disorders, major depression, substance abuse or substance dependence, or panic attacks. Nine (14.9%) of the 67 index group subjects reported a suicide attempt, 4 of whom reported their first sexual assault as occurring before age 16 years. A sexual assault history was associated with increased prevalence of lifetime suicide attempt after controlling for sex, age, education, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and psychiatric disorder. Findings were similar in the female-only subsample (n = 1778). For women, the odds of attempting suicide was 3 to 4 times greater when the first reported sexual assault occurred prior to age 16 years compared with age 16 years or older. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual assault is associated with an increased lifetime rate of attempted suicide. In women, a history of sexual trauma before age 16 years is a particularly strong correlate of attempted suicide.

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Published In

Arch Gen Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0003-990X

Publication Date

June 1996

Volume

53

Issue

6

Start / End Page

550 / 555

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Suicide, Attempted
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Sex Factors
  • Risk Factors
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Prevalence
  • Odds Ratio
  • North Carolina
  • Multivariate Analysis
 

Citation

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Davidson, J. R., Hughes, D. C., George, L. K., & Blazer, D. G. (1996). The association of sexual assault and attempted suicide within the community. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 53(6), 550–555. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830060096013
Davidson, J. R., D. C. Hughes, L. K. George, and D. G. Blazer. “The association of sexual assault and attempted suicide within the community.Arch Gen Psychiatry 53, no. 6 (June 1996): 550–55. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830060096013.
Davidson JR, Hughes DC, George LK, Blazer DG. The association of sexual assault and attempted suicide within the community. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Jun;53(6):550–5.
Davidson, J. R., et al. “The association of sexual assault and attempted suicide within the community.Arch Gen Psychiatry, vol. 53, no. 6, June 1996, pp. 550–55. Pubmed, doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830060096013.
Davidson JR, Hughes DC, George LK, Blazer DG. The association of sexual assault and attempted suicide within the community. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Jun;53(6):550–555.

Published In

Arch Gen Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0003-990X

Publication Date

June 1996

Volume

53

Issue

6

Start / End Page

550 / 555

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Suicide, Attempted
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Sex Factors
  • Risk Factors
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Prevalence
  • Odds Ratio
  • North Carolina
  • Multivariate Analysis