Background
Although child maltreatment is a well documented risk factor for
suicidal behavior, little is known about whether the timing of child
maltreatment differentially associates with risk of suicidal ideation,
suicide plans, or suicide attempts. The goal of this study was to examine
whether a first exposure to physical or sexual abuse during specific
developmental periods significantly elevated risk for suicidal behavior in
adolescents.
Methods
Data came from the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement,
a population-based sample of US adolescents aged 13–18 years old
(n = 9,272). Using discrete time survival
analysis, we assessed the association between timing of first abuse (early
childhood: ages 0–5; middle childhood: ages 6–10;
adolescence: ages 11–18) and suicidal ideation, plans, and
attempts.
Results
Exposure to either physical or sexual abuse increased the odds of
reporting suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 5.06
and OR = 3.56, respectively), plans (OR = 3.63 and OR
= 3.58, respectively), and attempts (OR = 5.80 and OR
= 4.21, respectively), even after controlling for sociodemographic
covariates and psychiatric disorders. However, the timing of physical and
sexual abuse exposure was unassociated with suicidal behavior (all
p values >.05).
Conclusions
Exposure to child maltreatment is strongly associated with risk for
adolescent suicidal behaviors, though this association did not vary based on
the developmental timing of first exposure. These findings suggest that
prevention efforts should be implemented throughout early development and
target all children, regardless of when they were first exposed.
VCY2 is a testis-specific protein that locates in a frequently deleted azoospermia factor c region on chromosome Yq. Although its genomic structure has been characterized, the function of VCY2 is still unknown. To gain insight regarding the likely function of VCY2, we investigated the proteins that interact with VCY2 using the yeast two-hybrid system. We identified a novel VCY2 interaction partner, named VCY2IP-1, that encodes an open reading frame of 1059 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of VCY2IP-1 shows 59.3% and 41.9% homology to two human microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), MAP1B and MAP1A, respectively. VCY2IP-1 has an extensive homology to the N-terminus and C-terminus regions of MAP1B and MAP1A, placing it within a large family of MAPs. We mapped VCY2IP-1 to chromosome 19p13.11. The VCY2IP-1 gene spans 15 kilobases (kb) and consists of seven exons. Northern blot analysis identified a single, intense band of approximately 3.2-kb VCY2IP-1 transcript, predominantly expressed in human testis. In situ hybridization of human testicular sections showed the localization of VCY2IP-1 transcripts in germ cells, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated the presence of VCY2 and VCY2IP-1 transcripts in human ejaculated spermatozoa. Our expression data support the involvement of VCY2 and VCY2IP-1 in spermatogenesis. Based on the high homology of VCY2IP-1 with MAPs, we propose the involvement of VCY2 in the cytoskeletal network via interaction with VCY2IP-1.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.