Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, Chile

Introduction Understanding suicidal ideation and its association with childhood adversity is crucial for preventing suicide. Although the “healthy immigrant effect”, whereby immigrants are healthier than the native-born population, has been well documented across studies, little research has exami...

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Main Authors: A. Errazuriz, D. Avello, S. Morales, R. Pino
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021-04-01
Series:European Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821010877/type/journal_article
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author A. Errazuriz
D. Avello
S. Morales
R. Pino
author_facet A. Errazuriz
D. Avello
S. Morales
R. Pino
author_sort A. Errazuriz
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Understanding suicidal ideation and its association with childhood adversity is crucial for preventing suicide. Although the “healthy immigrant effect”, whereby immigrants are healthier than the native-born population, has been well documented across studies, little research has examined the presence of such effect on lifetime suicidal ideation (LSI) and its association to early adversity. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of LSI between the immigrant and native-born population in Chile and explore the association between childhood adversity and suicidal ideation in immigrants. Methods Data from two cross-sectional health surveys: the Santiago Immigrant Wellbeing Study (STRING, n=1,091; 2019) and the Chilean National Health Survey (ENS2016, n=3,432) were used. Each study used multistage probability sampling and estimates were weighted to approximate the distribution of demographic variables in each population. Outcomes included LSI measured by WHO-CIDI and an adapted version of the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed. Results indicated that immigrants were less likely to report LSI compared with the native-born population. Moreover, male and female immigrants had lower risk of having SI than native-born counterparts. After controlling for socioeconomic status, social support, and health conditions, childhood adversities predicted an increased risk of LSI in immigrants. No gender differences were found in the effects of childhood adversity on suicidal thoughts. Conclusions Findings confirm the presence of a healthy immigrant effect in LSI and support a life course perspective, highlighting the importance of assessing early life disadvantages to understand suicidal ideation among immigrants.
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spelling doaj.art-62fb396150924390b2f724b80eb4af3f2023-11-17T05:08:16ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S406S40610.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.1087Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, ChileA. Errazuriz0D. Avello1S. Morales2R. Pino3Psychiatry, School Of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, ChilePsychiatry, School Of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, ChilePsychiatry, School Of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, ChilePsychiatry, School Of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile Introduction Understanding suicidal ideation and its association with childhood adversity is crucial for preventing suicide. Although the “healthy immigrant effect”, whereby immigrants are healthier than the native-born population, has been well documented across studies, little research has examined the presence of such effect on lifetime suicidal ideation (LSI) and its association to early adversity. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of LSI between the immigrant and native-born population in Chile and explore the association between childhood adversity and suicidal ideation in immigrants. Methods Data from two cross-sectional health surveys: the Santiago Immigrant Wellbeing Study (STRING, n=1,091; 2019) and the Chilean National Health Survey (ENS2016, n=3,432) were used. Each study used multistage probability sampling and estimates were weighted to approximate the distribution of demographic variables in each population. Outcomes included LSI measured by WHO-CIDI and an adapted version of the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed. Results indicated that immigrants were less likely to report LSI compared with the native-born population. Moreover, male and female immigrants had lower risk of having SI than native-born counterparts. After controlling for socioeconomic status, social support, and health conditions, childhood adversities predicted an increased risk of LSI in immigrants. No gender differences were found in the effects of childhood adversity on suicidal thoughts. Conclusions Findings confirm the presence of a healthy immigrant effect in LSI and support a life course perspective, highlighting the importance of assessing early life disadvantages to understand suicidal ideation among immigrants. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821010877/type/journal_articleimmigranthealthy immigrant effectadverse childhood experiencesSuicidal ideation
spellingShingle A. Errazuriz
D. Avello
S. Morales
R. Pino
Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, Chile
European Psychiatry
immigrant
healthy immigrant effect
adverse childhood experiences
Suicidal ideation
title Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, Chile
title_full Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, Chile
title_fullStr Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, Chile
title_full_unstemmed Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, Chile
title_short Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in Santiago, Chile
title_sort adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among immigrants in santiago chile
topic immigrant
healthy immigrant effect
adverse childhood experiences
Suicidal ideation
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821010877/type/journal_article
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AT rpino adversechildhoodexperiencesandsuicidalideationamongimmigrantsinsantiagochile