{"id":49435,"date":"2026-10-02T06:32:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T04:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/?p=49435"},"modified":"2026-10-02T08:02:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:02:32","slug":"childhood-neglect-may-increase-the-risk-of-suicide-attempts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/2026\/10\/childhood-neglect-may-increase-the-risk-of-suicide-attempts\/","title":{"rendered":"Childhood neglect may increase the risk of suicide attempts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers at Semmelweis University examined the connection between childhood trauma and adult suicide risk among 300 psychiatric inpatients. <\/strong>According to a study<\/strong><\/a> published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology<\/em>, both emotional and physical neglect may be associated with repeated suicide attempts. While previous Hungarian and international studies have mainly focused on the consequences of physical and sexual abuse, the role of different forms of neglect has received less attention.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Childhood abuse and neglect, as well as suicidal behavior, are major public health concerns, and numerous previous studies have confirmed the connection between them. However, less is known about how specific forms of childhood trauma relate to repeated suicide attempts. The researchers also examined whether childhood trauma differed between patients who had attempted suicide once and those who had made multiple attempts.<\/p>\n

Among the 300 psychiatric inpatients included in the study, emotional neglect was the most common form of childhood trauma (93%), and over 90 percent of the participants reported at least two types of childhood trauma. The study found that different types of trauma frequently occurred together, and their effects may add up. Furthermore, a higher degree of physical neglect was associated with a greater likelihood of repeated suicide attempts. Because the study included psychiatric inpatients, the results cannot be generalized to the wider population.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cOur results show that neglect may have serious and long-term consequences, so its significance should not be underestimated,\u201d<\/em> stated No\u00e9mi Szeifert, clinical psychologist at the Szent R\u00f3kus Health Center of Semmelweis University and the first author of the study.<\/p>\n

Neglect occurs when a child’s basic physical or emotional needs are persistently unmet. Emotional neglect means a prolonged lack of emotional support and a sense of security, while physical neglect refers to the continuous failure to provide for the child’s basic physical needs, such as proper nutrition, clothing, or healthcare.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the study notes that a direct cause-and-effect relationship cannot be established between childhood trauma and later suicidal behavior. Suicidal behavior is a complex phenomenon influenced by the combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Childhood trauma may increase long-term vulnerability and can later be associated with mental health disorders and substance misuse. However, these later consequences could also be influenced by numerous protective factors, such as secure family and social relationships.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cWhile our study supports the connection between early traumas and adult suicide risk, further research is needed to uncover exactly what factors help explain this connection,\u201d<\/em> said Dr. X\u00e9nia Gonda, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology at Semmelweis University, the last author of the study.<\/p>\n

Childhood abuse and neglect do not always have clear, easily recognizable signs, but certain changes may be warning signs even if the child does not talk about what they are experiencing. These include a significant or persistent change in behavior, increased anxiety, withdrawal, or avoiding activities they previously enjoyed, including social activities and community events. These signs alone do not prove that a child is experiencing abuse or neglect, but they might indicate that the child is struggling and may need help.<\/p>\n

However, abuse and neglect often remain hidden because many victims are afraid to speak about their experiences or worry about the consequences of doing so. According to a previous Hungarian estimate<\/a>, only one in thirty cases of child abuse or neglect is reflected in official statistics.<\/p>\n

\n

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek immediate support from a local crisis or mental health service.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

B\u00e1lint Gy\u0151rfi
\nPhoto: M\u00e1rta Csorba; Bogl\u00e1rka Zellei \u2013 Semmelweis University
\nCover image: iStock by Getty Images \/ fiorigianluigi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers at Semmelweis University examined the connection between childhood trauma and adult suicide risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102681,"featured_media":49437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,270,286],"tags":[261,29],"class_list":["post-49435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-other","category-x-nyitolap","tag-press","tag-research"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102681"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49435"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49503,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49435\/revisions\/49503"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}