Relations of Childhood Trauma and Emotional Dysregulation with Suicide Ideation and Suicidal Behaviour Severity in a Clinical Sample of Depressive Female Adolescents

Binay Kayan Ocakoğlu; Helin Yılmaz Kafalı; Fevzi Tuna  Ocakoğlu; Burcu Kardaş; Ömer Kardaş; Adem Işık; Gizem Müjdecioğlu; Serap Akpınar; Sümeyra Elif  Kaplan Karakaya; Yeliz Balca; Çiğdem Yektaş

doi:10.18502/ijps.v18i4.13631

Binay Kayan Ocakoğlu Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
Helin Yılmaz Kafalı Ministry of Health Ankara City Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Ankara, Turkey.
Fevzi Tuna Ocakoğlu İstanbul Private French Lape Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey.
Burcu Kardaş Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Kocaeli, Turkey.
Ömer Kardaş Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Kocaeli, Turkey
Adem Işık Van Regional Training and Research Hospital, Van, Turkey.
Gizem Müjdecioğlu Antalya Medical Park Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.
Serap Akpınar Ministry of Health Ankara City Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Ankara, Turkey.
Sümeyra Elif Kaplan Karakaya Ankara Research and Training Hospital Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Ankara, Turkey
Yeliz Balca Diyarbakır Child Diseases Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
Çiğdem Yektaş Uskudar University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Istanbul, Turkey.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v18i4.13631

Keywords: Childhood Trauma; Emotion Regulation; Suicide Attempt; Suicide Prevention

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore the aspects of emotional dysregulation (ED) and childhood trauma (CT) which are associated with suicide ideation (SI) and suicidal behaviour (SB) severity in depressive female adolescents who previously attempted suicide.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated SI and SB severity. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) was administered to 80 depressive female patients who had suicide attempts within the last month. Current suicide ideation (C-SI) and total score (C-TS), lifetime- suicide ideation (L-SI), and total score (L-TS) were obtained with the C-SSRS. Patients were recruited from five different provinces in Turkey. Additionally, the patients completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The Pearson correlation test and a multiple linear regression analysis were used to determine variables predictive of suicide scores.

Results: The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the BDI and DERS - total scores explained 35% (adjusted R) of the variance in C-SI ((F (2;67) = 19.61, P < 0.001). C-TS was explained by ‘BDI,’ ‘emotional neglect’ and ‘DERS impulse’ (38% (adjusted R) (F (3;66) = 15.15, P < 0.001). L-SI was only associated with DERS strategies (explains 13% (adjusted R) of the variance in L-SI (F (1;68) = 10.411, P = 0.02). Concerning the C-SSRS L-TS, the DERS impulse and CTQ total accounted for 24% (adjusted R) of the variance (F (2;67) = 10.620, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that adolescents who have experienced emotional neglect and depressive symptoms are more at risk for suicidal ideation and behaviour. In addition, depressed adolescents who show impulsive behaviours and restricted emotional strategies are also at risk. Identifying neglected depressed adolescents and teaching impulse control and effective emotional strategies is important for the prevention of suicidal behaviours and thoughts.