Suicidal behaviour in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young men under custodial youth justice supervision: understanding the role of adverse childhood experiences

Abstract

This study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and suicidal behaviour in a sample of 1726 young men in an Australian youth justice detention population. Nine ACEs, including child abuse and parental risk factors, were examined. Analyses focused on whether ACEs were associated with suicidal ideation and attempts after controlling for other known correlates including substance use, aggression and out-of-home care exposure. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young men were found to have a higher prevalence and a higher average score of ACEs, but differed very little in relation to reported suicidal behaviour. Higher ACEs scores and specific maltreatment types (i.e. physical and sexual abuse) were positively associated with suicidal behaviour. This relationship was attenuated after controlling for established correlates of suicidal behaviour. The findings underscored the importance of understanding ACEs as major risk factors for suicide in youth justice populations and the need for effective prevention measures.

Key words:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• abuse and neglect
• adverse childhood experiences
• child maltreatment
• detention
• suicidal behaviour
• suicidal ideation
• suicide attempts
• youth justice
• youth offending.

Ethical standards

Declaration of conflicts of interest

Matilda D’Antoine has declared no conflicts of interest

Catia Malvaso has declared no conflicts of interest

Paul Delfabbro has declared no conflicts of interest

Joanne O’Connor has declared no conflicts of interest

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee, the low risk Human Research Ethics Committee in the School of Psychology, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study

Notes

1 ‘Aboriginal’ will be used hereafter to refer to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. We respectfully acknowledge their diversity and autonomy and recognise that the preferred language and terminology may differ amongst individuals, families and communities. We chose the term ‘Aboriginal’ for this paper as it is specific to South Australia. Many South Australian Aboriginal people prefer the term ‘Aboriginal’ but we also respect and acknowledge those prefer to be referred by their specific language group(s).

2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015) suggested that those with four or more ACEs are particularly at risk for adverse outcomes. This is based on the original 10-item ACEs framework. Because in this study we were only able to measure nine ACEs, we have classified high ACEs as young people who had three or more ACEs.

Additional information

Funding

Catia Malvaso is supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE200100679).