This study investigates the contribution of posttraumatic stress symptoms to the prediction of suicidality among female adolescent survivors of sexual abuse. A one-year prospective study of 52 female survivors aged 12 to 18 years was conducted. A negative binomial regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms as well as posttraumatic stress symptoms associated with the sexual trauma were significant predictors of suicidal ideations a year later. Posttraumatic stress symptoms remained a significant predictor of suicidal ideations even when controlling for depressive symptomatology and the presence of a past suicide attempt, thus emphasizing the relevance of posttraumatic stress symptoms in regard to suicidality in sexually abused youths. Results are discussed within the context of therapeutic modalities for survivors of a sexual trauma.
Keywords: child sexual abuse; depression; female adolescent; posttraumatic stress; suicidal ideation.