Sexual abuse and substance abuse increase risk of suicidal behavior in Malaysian youth

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the association between sexual abuse, substance abuse and socio-demographic factors with suicidal ideation (SI), plans (SP) and deliberate self-harm (DSH) and propose steps to prevent youth suicidal behavior. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 6786 adolescents aged 17-18 years, selected randomly from all Malaysian adolescents to undergo compulsory youth camps located in Selangor, Malaysia (2008Malaysia ( -2009). Participants were assessed using self-administered questionnaires developed to reflect the local cultural setting. However, only 4581 subjects were analyzed after excluding incomplete data. Results: The rates of SI, SP and DSH were 7.6%, 3.2% and 6.3%, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio showed that sexual abuse was associated with SI 1.99 (95% CI: 1.56-2.55), SP 1.57 (95% CI: 1.09-2.27) and DSH 2.26 (95% CI: 1.75-2.94); illicit drug use was associated with SI 4.05 (95% CI: 2.14-7.67), SP 2.62 (95% CI: 1.05-6.53) and DSH 2.06, (95% CI: 1.05-4.04); for alcohol use DSH was 1.34 (95% CI: 1.00-1.79). Being female was associated with all suicidal behaviors: SI 2.51 (95% CI: 1.91-3.30), SP 2.07 (95% CI: 1.39-3.08) and DSH 1.59 (95% CI: 1.19-2.11). Discussion: Given the well-founded concern of increasing risk of suicidal behavior among youth, preventive efforts should adopt a more comprehensive approach in dealing with sexual abuse and substance abuse, and their sequelae, especially in girls.

Association between Health Risk Behavior and Suicidal Ideation, Continuous Sadness and Depression among Malaysian Youth

“…This finding is similar with a study done by Arria et al, (2010) and Chan et al, (2013). Adolescents belonging to age group 13 to 17 years old with a history of sexual abuse were more likely to experience SI (56.37), CS (36.67) and DP (34.66).…”

“…Study by Chan et al, (2013) showed that history of sexual abuse increased exponentially with age among Malaysian adolescents. Another study by S. Maria et al, (2010) showed respondents age 18 to 24 years old had history of sexual abuse.…”

Completed suicides and self-harm in Malaysia: a systematic review

“…Furthermore, a diagnosis of major depression, anxiety, substance use and epilepsy worsened risk for self-harm [12,24,25,[45][46][47][48]. Similarly in adolescents, precipitating factors for suicidal ideation included depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, being bullied, and being abused at home, either physically or verbally [26,49].…”

History of sexual abuse and suicide attempts in alcohol-dependent patients

“…However, most studies did not control for overlap with other high-risk factors, especially sociodemographic variables (such as social support, employment, alcohol use, and physical abuse; Maniglio, 2011b) that may coexist with childhood sexual abuse and increase the risk of suicide attempts. For example, one study of Malaysian youth found that childhood sexual abuse was a more important risk factor for suicide attempts than drinking alcohol (Chan et al, 2013). However, other sociodemographic factors were not taken into consideration in this study.…”