(PS4-C72) Child Maltreatment, Suicide Attempt History, and the Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Adolescence

Research over the past two decades has produced mounting evidence of an association between child maltreatment and adolescent suicide attempts. However, research identifying specific mechanisms of risk involved in these associations is needed to inform evidence-based prevention and intervention initiatives. The current study examined the moderating role of emotion regulation difficulties in the association between child maltreatment and suicide attempt history. Participants included 165 adolescents aged 13-18 years old (M = 15.12, SD = 1.46, 69.7% female) who were recruited from an inpatient psychiatric hospital following hospitalization for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Lifetime history of suicide attempts (past attempt= 93, no attempt history= 72) was assessed via structured clinical interviews. Emotion regulation difficulties and history of child maltreatment were assessed via self-report measures. Among the child maltreatment types, emotional abuse and sexual abuse were uniquely associated with suicide attempt history, and difficulties in emotion regulation moderated these associations. Specifically, emotional abuse was positively associated with suicide attempt history at high levels of emotion regulation difficulties (β= .16, p= .04), but emotional abuse was not associated with suicide attempt history at moderate or low levels of emotion regulation difficulties (β= .04, p= .50 and β= -.07, p= .29, respectively). There were positive associations between sexual abuse and suicide attempt history at low and moderate levels of emotion regulation difficulties (β= .26, p= .02 and β= .14, p= .03, respectively), but sexual abuse was not related to suicide attempt history at high levels of emotion regulation difficulties (β= .01, p= .84). Results suggest that bolstering youth’s emotion regulation abilities in the aftermath of maltreatment may reduce suicide attempt risk in this vulnerable population. Implications for screening and intervention efforts will be discussed.