Childhood maltreatment and suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents: Moderated mediation effect of perceived social support and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies

Abstract

Background: Although previous studies have shown that childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for adolescent suicidal ideation, less is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association.

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicidal ideation among adolescents, as well as the mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (maladaptive CERSs) and the moderating role of perceived social support.

Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 4005 adolescents (M_age = 14.24 years, SD = 1.53; 49.0 % males) completed self-report questionnaires regarding childhood maltreatment, maladaptive CERSs, perceived social support and suicidal ideation, along with their basic information.

Results: After controlling for gender, family location, family structure, and depression, childhood maltreatment was positively related to adolescent suicidal ideation, and maladaptive CERSs were found to mediate this association. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that perceived social support buffered the associations between maladaptive CERSs and adolescent suicidal ideation.

Conclusions: The findings assist in understanding the mechanisms of maladaptive CERSs and perceived social support in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicidal ideation and can provide new perspectives for researchers designing interventions for suicidal ideation.

Keywords: Childhood maltreatment; Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies; Moderated mediation effect; Perceived social support; Suicidal ideation.