Longitudinal associations between childhood sexual abuse-related PTSD symptoms and passive and active suicidal ideation among sexual minority men

Jillian R Scheer; Kirsty A Clark; Ali Talan; Cynthia Cabral; John E Pachankis; H Jonathon Rendina

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105353

Longitudinal associations between childhood sexual abuse-related PTSD symptoms and passive and active suicidal ideation among sexual minority men

Child Abuse Negl. 2021 Dec:122:105353. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105353. Epub 2021 Oct 9.

Authors

Jillian R Scheer¹, Kirsty A Clark², Ali Talan³, Cynthia Cabral⁴, John E Pachankis⁵, H Jonathon Rendina⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 414 Huntington Hall, Syracuse NY 13244, USA. Electronic address: jrscheer@syr.edu.
² Department of Medicine, Health & Society, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
³ Whitman-Walker Institute, Inc., Washington, DC 20009, USA.
⁴ Counseling and Wellness Center, St. Joseph's College, Brooklyn, NY 11205, USA.
⁵ Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
⁶ Whitman-Walker Institute, Inc., Washington, DC 20009, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.

Abstract

Background: Sexual minority men report high rates of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adulthood suicidality. However, mechanisms (e.g., PTSD symptoms) through which CSA might drive suicidality remain unknown.

Objective: In a prospective cohort of sexual minority men, we examined: (1) associations between CSA and suicidal thoughts and behaviors; (2) prospective associations between CSA-related PTSD symptoms and suicidal ideation; and (3) interpersonal moderators of these associations.

Participants and setting: Participants included 6305 sexual minority men (M_age = 33.2, SD = 11.5; 82.0% gay; 53.5% White) who completed baseline and one-year follow-up at-home online surveys.

Methods: Bivariate analyses were used to assess baseline demographic and suicidality differences between CSA-exposed participants and non-CSA-exposed participants. Among CSA-exposed participants, multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to regress passive and active suicidal ideation at one-year follow-up on CSA-related PTSD symptoms at baseline. Interactions were examined between CSA-related PTSD symptoms and interpersonal difficulties.

Results: CSA-exposed sexual minority men reported two-and-a-half times the odds of suicide attempt history compared to non-CSA-exposed men (95% CI = 2.15-2.88; p < 0.001). Among CSA-exposed sexual minority men, CSA-related PTSD symptoms were prospectively associated with passive suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.19; 1.61). Regardless of CSA-related PTSD symptom severity, those with lower social support and greater loneliness were at elevated risk of active suicidal ideation at one-year follow-up.

Conclusions: CSA-related PTSD symptom severity represents a psychological mechanism contributing to CSA-exposed sexual minority men's elevated suicide risk, particularly among those who lack social support and report loneliness.

Keywords: Childhood sexual abuse; PTSD; Sexual minority men; Social support; Suicidality.

MeSH terms

Adult
Child
Humans
Male
Sex Offenses*
Sexual and Gender Minorities*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide, Attempted / psychology

Abstract

MeSH terms

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