Child maltreatment and suicidal ideation: The role of PTSD symptoms and alcohol misuse

Child maltreatment is a well-established risk factor for suicide attempts, but research on mechanisms accounting for this relationship is needed. The current study examined the indirect effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and alcohol misuse in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicidal ideation. In the current study, 336 participants (M-age = 22.81, SD = 8.84; 70.2% female) completed an online survey. The indirect effect of childhood maltreatment on suicidal ideation via PTSD symptoms was statistically significant (beta = .21, p < .001) but the indirect effect via alcohol misuse was not (beta = .01, p = .116). Severity of alcohol misuse (b = .13, p = .009) was positively related to suicidal ideation. These findings indicate that PTSD symptoms are one mechanism through which childhood maltreatment increases risk of suicidal ideation. Alcohol misuse is also a direct risk factor for suicidal ideation, but this effect is independent of the effects of childhood maltreatment.