TY - JOUR
T1 - Suicide attempts among men with histories of child sexual abuse
T2 - Examining abuse severity, mental health, and masculine norms
AU - Easton, Scott D.
AU - Renner, Lynette M.
AU - O'Leary, Patrick
N1 - Funding Information:
The study received financial support from the John A. Hartford Foundation (Geriatric Social Work Initiative) .
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - Men who were sexually abused during childhood are at risk for a variety of long-term mental health problems, including suicidality. However, little is known about which factors are related to recent suicide attempts for this vulnerable, under-researched population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between abuse severity, mental health, masculine norms and recent suicide attempts among men with histories of child sexual abuse (CSA). Methods: We analyzed survey data gathered from a purposive sample of 487 men who were sexually abused during childhood. The age of the sample ranged from 19 to 84 years (μ= 50.4 years). Recent suicide attempts served as the dependent variable in the study. Self-reported measures of sexual abuse severity, child physical abuse, mental health, masculine norms, and demographic information (age, race) represented the independent variables. Results: The results from logistic regression modeling found that five variables - duration of the sexual abuse, use of force during the sexual abuse, high conformity to masculine norms, level of depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation - increased the odds of a suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Conclusion: To improve mental health services for men with histories of CSA, mental health practitioners should incorporate sexual abuse severity, current mental health, and adherence to masculine norms into assessment and treatment planning.
AB - Men who were sexually abused during childhood are at risk for a variety of long-term mental health problems, including suicidality. However, little is known about which factors are related to recent suicide attempts for this vulnerable, under-researched population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between abuse severity, mental health, masculine norms and recent suicide attempts among men with histories of child sexual abuse (CSA). Methods: We analyzed survey data gathered from a purposive sample of 487 men who were sexually abused during childhood. The age of the sample ranged from 19 to 84 years (μ= 50.4 years). Recent suicide attempts served as the dependent variable in the study. Self-reported measures of sexual abuse severity, child physical abuse, mental health, masculine norms, and demographic information (age, race) represented the independent variables. Results: The results from logistic regression modeling found that five variables - duration of the sexual abuse, use of force during the sexual abuse, high conformity to masculine norms, level of depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation - increased the odds of a suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Conclusion: To improve mental health services for men with histories of CSA, mental health practitioners should incorporate sexual abuse severity, current mental health, and adherence to masculine norms into assessment and treatment planning.
KW - Child sexual abuse
KW - Male survivors
KW - Masculine norms
KW - Risk factors
KW - Suicide attempts
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U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.11.007
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.11.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 23313078
AN - SCOPUS:84878520677
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 37
SP - 380
EP - 387
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
IS - 6
ER -