Childhood adversities and suicidal behavior in the general population. The cross-sectional PEGASUS-Murcia Project

The Effects of Traumatic Events on Mental Health Among Women Experiencing Homelessness: A Longitudinal Study

In this longitudinal study, we aim to evaluate the prevalence and impact of interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic events among women experiencing homelessness in Madrid (Spain) (N  =  136). The information was collected through a structured interview and standardized instruments at baseline and at a 12-month follow-up. The most prevalent events were physical assaults, intimate partner violence, and severe illnesses or accidents. Path analysis revealed that personal and non-interpersonal traumatic events had direct effects on mental health, but also had differential indirect effects. Greater efforts are needed to address the effects of various types of potentially traumatic events and to design effective trauma-informed interventions for women experiencing homelessness.

Testing the role of inflammation in the relation of childhood maltreatment and suicidal ideation among young adults

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the prevalence of suicidal ideation among young adults has been on the rise, with childhood maltreatment thought to partially explain this disparity. Systemic inflammation-a product of over-activation of the body's stress response system-has been hypothesized to play a predictive role in the development of suicidal ideation. Enduring childhood maltreatment can lead to systemic inflammation, possibly accounting for suicidal ideation's increased prevalence among young adults who have a history of childhood maltreatment.

METHODS

The current study sought to investigate the importance of childhood maltreatment as a static risk factor for downstream suicidal ideation in young adulthood with the immunological response (i.e., systemic inflammation) to childhood maltreatment serving as a mediating factor.

RESULTS

Systemic inflammation was found to be positively associated with suicidal ideation, supporting the unique role systemic inflammation may play in the pathogenesis of suicidal ideation, though hypotheses regarding childhood maltreatment were not supported.

CONCLUSION

This study provides novel insight into a potential immunobiological model for suicidal ideation development in young adult populations.