Sex-Specific Predictors of Exposure to Hospital-Treated Assaults Among Former Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract

This study examined the associations of psychiatric disorders, suicidal behavior and family-related characteristics during adolescence, to subsequent experiences of hospital-treated physical, or sexual assaults, among 508 young adults with a history of psychiatric inpatient care at adolescence (aged 13–17 years). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) based adolescent psychiatric disorders were assessed at index hospitalization using Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age children, Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL). Treatment episodes for assaults were obtained from the health care register, provided by the Finnish National Institute for Health Welfare. About 14.4% of the participants had experienced physical or sexual assault during their lifetime. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that anxiety disorder (odds ratio [OR] = 9.6) and nonsuicidal self-injury (OR = 3.7) in adolescence for males, and personality disorder (OR = 3.4) for females, were associated with increased likelihood for subsequent assault exposure leading to hospitalization. These findings can be used in targeting vulnerable adolescents and designing primary prevention strategies.