Severe or chronic disease in childhood predicts suicidality and links to anxiety in young adulthood

Abstract

Purpose

Suicide prevention needs measures, and further understanding of the role of adverse childhood experiences may elucidate the suicide process and ease the identification of suicide risk.

Materials and methods

A random sample of adults, aged 18–28 years and representative of the general population living in Finland, participated in a nationwide health examination survey. Of them (n = 793) we analyzed whether severe or chronic disease in childhood before the age of 16 years contributed to suicidality (suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts), and whether severe or chronic disease in childhood was associated with mental disorders, current psychological distress, current usage of prescription medicines, or current work capacity.

Results

Having severe or chronic disease in childhood contributed independently to suicidality, with the odds ratio of 5.41 (95% confidence interval of 2.98–9.82, p < .001), but the significance of this association was lost after controlling for mental disorders. Having severe or chronic disease during childhood, as compared not having such condition, was associated with having more frequently anxiety (p < .001), greater psychological distress (p < .001), more frequently usage of psychotropic medicines (p < .001), and poorer work capacity (p < .001).

Conclusion

Having severe or chronic disease in childhood not only increased the odds for suicidality, but also associated with anxiety, current psychological distress, current usage of psychotropic medication, and current work capacity in young adulthood.

Keywords:

• Adversity
• diagnostic interview
• national
• psychiatric services

Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank the organizers of the Health 2011 Survey, all members of the staff for the study, and all whom participated in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Raimo Palmu

Raimo Palmu, MD, PhD, is psychiatrist and has specialized into forensic psychiatry as well as adolescent psychiatry. He currently works as full-time clinician and has studied not only suicides at large, but also mental disorders in burn injury patients especially.

Timo Partonen

Timo Partonen, MD, PhD, is psychiatrist and works as full-time research professor. He is currently the chair of the national network for coordination of suicide prevention and leading the implementation of the national suicide prevention programme for the years of 2020 to 2030.