When Offenders Commit Suicide

Offenders are at elevated risk for interpersonal violence victimization (IVV), which is a risk factor for suicide-related outcomes in some populations, suggesting the importance of examining risk associated with IVV in offenders. A study published in a recent issue of Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention examined the association between IVV and suicidal ideation (SI) among criminal offenders in a pretrial jail diversion program in the United States. A sample of 266 offenders were screened for ten common Axis I psychiatric disorders along with current SI and past-year IVV. Results showed that past-year IVV was significantly associated with current SI, and the association remained significant after adjusting for symptoms of ten Axis I psychiatric disorders, respectively and simultaneously. Gender did not moderate the IVV-SI association. The researchers concluded that their findings support a connection between interpersonal violence victimization and suicidal ideation in criminal offenders.

For the abstract.