Trauma na infância, transtorno de humor e risco de suicídio na idade adulta

Abstract

Childhood trauma is an important risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders in adult life. It may be described as the exposure of the child to circumstances of physical, psychological, or sexual violence and/or neglect that endangers the child’s life. Investigations on negative life events are important to determine the environmental impact related to the development of psychiatric disorders in adult life. On this matter, early traumatic experiences have been strongly associated with suicidal behavior, which leaves deep emotional scars that accompany the individual throughout life. Childhood trauma has also been associated with mood disorders, which are disturbances regarding mood and affective states that are classified in depressive disorder and bipolar mood disorder. The following thesis has two purposes: 1) to verify the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and current suicide risk in a population-based sample of individuals aged 14-35 years in the urban area of Pelotas/RS; and 2) to verify and corroborate the relationship between childhood trauma and the development of mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorder) in adult life, in a population-based study. Both purposes were addressed by the cross-sectional population-based study entitled: Trauma na infância, transtornos de humor e risco de suicídio em jovens entre 14 e 35 anos, residentes na zona urbana da cidade de Pelotas/RS, which is nested within a bigger study entitled: “Estudo do temperamento e transtornos psiquiátricos na interface entre psiquiatria, psicologia e neurociências”. Childhood trauma was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) whereas the suicide risk and the mood disorders were evaluated through the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). In addition, the participants responded to a questionnaire containing 10 information on sociodemographic and substance use variables. Statistical analyses were conducted in the SPSS 13.0 for Windows and STATA 12. They were carried out using a conceptual model and the variables that presented p ≤ 0.20 were included in the adjusted analysis according to the levels from the hierarchical model. Statistical associations were considered significant when p ≤ 0.05. The probability of presenting suicide risk was higher amongst women, individuals who were not currently working, the ones who presented alcohol abuse and tobacco smokers. Moreover, suicide risk was associated with all trauma domains, especially emotional abuse. Regarding mood disorders, the present study verified the relationship between childhood trauma and mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorder) in young adults. In conclusion, the avoidance of early trauma may reduce suicide risk in young individuals and, in addition, this type of study may help to create new prevention and intervention strategies targeting this population.