Emotion Regulation Mediates the Association Between Child Abuse and Adult Suicidal Ideation: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Emotion regulation (ER) problems have been shown to mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicidality. However, evidence is sparse regarding specific types of maltreatment and ER strategies involved. ObjectiveTo explore cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression as potential mediators of the association between three types of child abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional) and suicidal ideation. MethodsA cross-sectional design was used. A total of 375 Mexican young adults (77.1% female) responded to an online survey. Measures of child abuse, ER, and suicidal ideation were administered. Three mediation models were tested (one for each type of abuse), each with two mediators (the two ER strategies). The presence of mediation was formally tested through bootstrapping applied to the indirect effects. ResultsExpressive suppression significantly mediated the relationship between two types of abuse (physical and emotional) and suicidal ideation. Also, lower use of cognitive reappraisal mediated the association between sexual abuse and suicidal ideation. ConclusionsStudying different types of abuse and ER strategies separately provides a more complete understanding of how suicidal thoughts develop. This could also affect how interventions are tailored for different groups. The present results can be used as a starting point for further, more detailed research.