The Effect of Childhood Interpersonal Trauma on Adolescent Suicidal Ideation: The Moderating Role of Stress Coping Ability

Background: South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries. A psychological autopsy study of suicide decedents revealed that many individuals who died by suicide had experienced unstable and isolated childhoods, marked by caregiver absence, emotional and physical neglect, socioeconomic deprivation, social marginalization, and exposure to abuse and violence. These adverse conditions were found to contribute to long-term negative life trajectories. Such evidence highlights the profound impact of childhood interpersonal trauma on later-life outcomes, with a significant proportion of suicide decedents having encountered these early-life adversities. Therefore, it is essential to focus on childhood and adolescent trauma in suicide prevention efforts. In particular, there is a need to examine whether coping skills, recognized as protective factors against suicidal behavior, moderate the relationship between interpersonal trauma and suicidal ideation. The present study aims to investigate the association between childhood interpersonal trauma and adolescent suicidal ideation, and to assess the moderating effect of coping skills on this relationship.

Methods: This study utilized survey data collected from 383 middle and high school students in Busan, South Korea. Childhood interpersonal trauma was assessed through experiences of domestic violence and school bullying, measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and an instrument developed by the School Violence Prevention Foundation. Suicidal ideation was evaluated using the Korean version of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). Based on Lazarus and Folkman's framework, coping skills were measured across four dimensions—problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, wishful thinking, and social support seeking. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the moderating effects of coping skills on the relationship between childhood interpersonal trauma and suicidal ideation.

Results: Childhood interpersonal trauma was significantly associated with adolescent suicidal ideation. Exposure to domestic violence (B = 1.630, p < .001) and experiences of school bullying (B = 1.325, p < .001) were both positively related to suicidal ideation. The moderating effects of coping skills differed by subdomains. Wishful thinking (F = 22.380, p < .05) and social support seeking (F = 24.158, p < .001) significantly moderated the relationship between childhood exposure to domestic violence and suicidal ideation. Similarly, problem-focused coping (F = 16.418, p < .001) and emotion-focused coping (F = 14.663, p < .001) significantly moderated the relationship between school bullying experiences and suicidal ideation.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the imperative need for trauma-informed interventions that address the impact of childhood interpersonal trauma on suicidal ideation. Given the long-term psychological consequences and elevated risk among adolescents, an integrated approach incorporating both child protection services and mental health support is crucial. Special attention should be given to educational and therapeutic strategies targeting peer victimization and to the development of programs that enhance adaptive coping skills. This study contributes important empirical insights to the field of youth suicide prevention, emphasizing the value of systematic, trauma-informed interventions and the implementation of evidence-based counseling protocols aimed at mitigating the effects of early trauma through strengthened coping capacities.