Psihološka Obzorja (Mar 2022)
Childhood trauma as a predictor of suicidal behaviour in life of adult children of parents with harmful alcohol consumption
Abstract
Slovenia is one of the so-called "wet cultures", in which alcohol is generally accepted. The most frequently, an entire family—especially children, who represent a vulnerable group with an increased risk of mental and physical problems—suffers due to alcohol misuse of an individual. The aim of this research was to examine whether there are any differences in the mental health, in different forms of suicidal behaviour and in the frequency of experiencing childhood trauma between individuals who grew up with parents with harmful alcohol consumption and individuals who did not grow up with parents with harmful alcohol consumption. Our aim was to examine the relationship between suicidal behaviour and the frequency of childhood trauma, and to study possible predictors of suicidal behaviour in the life of adult children of parents with harmful alcohol consumption. The research sample comprised 216 participants; 106 of them were classified as adult children of parents with harmful alcohol consumption, the remaining 110 were put into a comparative group. Adult children of parents with harmful alcohol consumption reported suicide attempts in the past more commonly than comparative group, and they more frequently admitted to having experienced physical and emotional abuse and neglect. There was a positive correlation between emotional neglect and perceived burdensomeness in adult children of parents with harmful alcohol consumption. Experiencing childhood trauma was identified as the most important predictor of suicide attempts in the past in adult children of parents with harmful alcohol consumption, while thinking about death was the most strongly suggested by perceived burdensomeness. Overall, the results suggest that childhood trauma may significantly contribute to suicide attempts in adult children of parents with harmful alcohol consumption.
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