Examining Associations Between Child Abuse and Neglect Experiences With Emotion Regulation Difficulties Indicative of Adolescent Suicidal Ideation Risk

Abstract

Objective: Preliminary work indicates one specific aspect of emotion dysregulation (i.e., limited access to emotion regulation strategies) uniquely associates with adolescent suicide ideation. An optimal score cut point on a measure of this emotion dysregulation impairment has been identified to indicate risk for past-year suicidal ideation. Examining types of child abuse and neglect associated with being above cut-off on this measure may point to interactive environmental effects associated with subsequent risk for suicidal ideation. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relations between multiple types of child abuse and neglect with being above cutoff on a measure of limited access to emotion regulation strategies in a psychiatrically severe adolescent sample.Method: The full sample included 203 psychiatric adolescents (Mean age = 15.31 years; 66.5% female; 74.4% White), assigned to two groups: (1) those at or above cutoff on the access to emotion regulation strategies subscale (n = 139); and (2) those below cutoff (n = 64).Results: Significant differences were only evidenced between the emotion regulation cutoff groups on emotional abuse, after covarying for other types of abuse and neglect; significant group differences were not evidenced on any other type of abuse or neglect (sexual or physical abuse, emotional or physical neglect).Conclusion: Relative to other types of abuse and neglect, emotional abuse may be differentially related to experiencing limited access to emotion regulation strategies, at the level indicative of suicide ideation risk. Clinical implications are discussed.

Pathways from childhood trauma to suicidal ideation: mediating through difficulties in emotion regulation and depressive symptoms

“…Intriguingly, in a longitudinal study with a sizable sample (i.e., 5423), Wu et al [ 39 ] found that in a mediation model, emotion reactivity (an index of DER) leads to depression, and depression leads to SI, which is precisely consistent with our findings and model. Consistently and particularly, Hatkevich et al [ 43 ] researched different forms of childhood abuse and found that compared to other forms of abuse and neglect, emotional abuse may be more strongly associated with having restricted access to emotion regulation strategies during adolescence, which is a condition suggestive of a higher risk of SI. Demirci also reported associations between childhood sexual abuse, DER, and diverse psychiatric conditions [ 88 ].…”

“…Hatkevich et al [ 42 ] found among adolescent inpatients that limited access to emotion regulation strategies, difficulties in impulse control, and mood disorder diagnosis were significantly associated with past-year SI. Hatkevich et al [ 43 ] demonstrated that emotional abuse might be differentially related to experiencing limited access to emotion regulation strategies at the level indicative of SI risk. Thus, SI may stem from ChT and, subsequently, the emotional dysregulation [ 40 ].…”

A Social-Ecological Approach to Understanding the Relationship between Cyberbullying Victimization and Suicidal Ideation in South Korean Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of School Connectedness

“…It is reported that sexual abuse has a stronger association with suicide ideation than physical abuse or witnessing violence [26]. In addition, it is suggested that although all types of child abuse affect adversely on child development, emotional abuse has especially detrimental and long-lasting effects on mental health and suicidality [27]. Autonomy can serve as a protective resource because it allows adolescents to develop their own effective coping strategies for handling life stressors.…”

Neural correlates of automatic emotion regulation and their association with suicidal ideation in adolescents during the first 90-days of residential care

“…However, relatively little work has specifically investigated adolescents engaging in SI. One neuro-cognitive risk factor associated with SI and potentially suicidal behavior (SB) is emotion dysregulation [8][9][10][11]. Older adolescents/young adults who report more emotion regulation difficulties show greater SI even after accounting for depression symptoms [12].…”