Latent Classes of Childhood Poly-victimization and Associations with Suicidal Behavior among Adult Trauma Victims: Moderating Role of Anger

Authors

Ruby Charak, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Brianna M. Byllesby, Summa Health Traumatic Stress Center
Michelle E. Roley, The Ohio State University
Meredith A. Claycomb, The University of Toledo
Tory A. Durham, The University of Toledo
Jana Ross, Ulster University
Cherie Armour, Ulster University
Jon D. Elhai, The University of Toledo

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2016

Abstract

The aims of the present study were first to identify discrete patterns of childhood victimization experiences including crime, child maltreatment, peer/sibling victimization, sexual violence, and witnessing violence among adult trauma victims using latent class analysis; second, to examine the association between class-membership and suicidal behavior, and third to investigate the differential role of dispositional anger on the association between class-membership and suicidal behavior. We hypothesized that those classes with accumulating exposure to different types of childhood victimization (e.g., poly-victimization) would endorse higher suicidal behavior, than the other less severe classes, and those in the most severe class with higher anger trait would have stronger association with suicidal behavior. Respondents were 346 adults (N = 346; Mage = 35.0 years; 55.9% female) who had experienced a lifetime traumatic event. Sixty four percent had experienced poly-victimization (four or more victimization experiences) and 38.8% met the cut-off score for suicidal behavior. Three distinct classes emerged namely, the Least victimization (Class 1), the Predominantly crime and sibling/peer victimization (Class 2), and the Poly-victimization (Class 3) classes. Regression analysis controlling for age and gender indicated that only the main effect of anger was significantly associated with suicidal behavior. The interaction term suggested that those in the Poly-victimization class were higher on suicidal behavior as a result of a stronger association between anger and suicidal behavior in contrast to the association found in Class 2. Clinical implications of findings entail imparting anger management skills to facilitate wellbeing among adult with childhood poly-victimization experiences.

Comments

Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.10.010.

Recommended Citation

Charak, R., Byllesby, B. M., Roley, M., Claycomb, M. A., Durham, T. A., Ross, J., Armour, C., & Elhai, J. D. (2016). Latent classes of childhood poly-victimization and association with suicidal behavior among adult trauma victims: Moderating role of anger. Child Abuse and Neglect, 62, 19-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.10.010

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Publication Title

Child Abuse & Neglect

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.10.010