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Childhood Adversity, Recent Life Stressors and Suicidal Behavior in Chinese College Students

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  • Zhiqi You
  • Mingxi Chen
  • Sen Yang
  • Zongkui Zhou
  • Ping Qin

Abstract

Background: Although the independent effects of childhood adversities and of recent negative events on suicidality have been well-documented, the combinative role of childhood and recent adversities on risk for suicidality is still underexplored, especially in the context of Chinese culture and in consideration of specific types of negative events. Method: 5989 students, randomly sampled from six universities in central China, completed the online survey for this study. Suicidal behavior, life adversity during childhood and stressful events in recent school life were assessed with designed questionnaires. Results: Students experiencing recent stressful life events more often reported an experience of life adversity during childhood. While recent stressful life events and childhood life adversity both were associated with an increased risk for suicidal behavior, the two exposures presented conjunctively and acted interactively to increase the risk. There was noticeable variation of effects associated with specific childhood life adversities, and sexual abuse, poor parental relationship, divorce of parents and loss of a parent were among the adversities associated with the highest increased risk. Recent conflicts with classmates, poor school performance and rupture of romantic relationships were the recent school life stressors associated with the highest increased risk. Conclusions: Childhood adversity and recent school life stressors had a combinative role in predicting suicidality of young people studying in Chinese colleges. Unhappy family life during childhood and recent interpersonal conflicts in school were the most important predictors of suicidality in this population.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiqi You & Mingxi Chen & Sen Yang & Zongkui Zhou & Ping Qin, 2014. "Childhood Adversity, Recent Life Stressors and Suicidal Behavior in Chinese College Students," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-7, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0086672
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086672
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    Cited by:

    1. Cai, Shu & Li, Wei, 2024. "On the origin of cognition: How childhood conditions shape cognitive function in old age," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Bob Lew & Kairi Kõlves & Augustine Osman & Mansor Abu Talib & Norhayati Ibrahim & Ching Sin Siau & Caryn Mei Hsien Chan, 2020. "Suicidality among Chinese college students: A cross-sectional study across seven provinces," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-13, August.

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