Adverse Childhood Experiences, Depression, Exposure to Suicide, Self-injury, Defeat, and Entrapment among Suicide Attempters and Non-suicidal People

Abstract

Background: Suicide is an important concern with regard to mental health and needs more attention in Iran. Objectives: This study aimed to compare depression, exposure to suicide, self-injury, defeat, and entrapment, and adverse childhood experiences in suicide attempters and normal people. Materials and Methods: The current research method was descriptive in the form of ex post facto research. The research community included two groups of (1) suicide attempters, and (2) normal students. Research measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, exposure to suicidal behavior, non-suicidal self-injury, short defeat and entrapment scale, adverse childhood experiences questionnaire, and future self-injury. The data were analyzed using t-test. Results: The results showed a significant difference between groups on the mean values of depression (2.27 for the non-suicidal group vs. 3.87 for the suicidal group), adverse childhood experiences (5.82 vs. 0.95), exposure to the attempted suicide (0.28 vs. 0.50), self-injury behavior (0.36 vs. 2.13), and future self-injury likelihood (0.56 vs. 2.13). The most significant differences belonged to the defeat and entrapment variable and adverse childhood experiences (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Thus, defeat and depression play an important role in predicting suicide, so we should intervene in these two states of mind.