Objectives: Suicidal ideation is a serious concern even among the pediatric population. This study aimed to determine its prevalence among victims of child sexual abuse and the factors that may contribute to its occurrence. Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study was done using medical records of 393 victims of child sexual abuse seen at the PGH CPU from 2017–2019. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the associations of age, sex, closest relation to perpetrator, mode, and chronicity of sexual abuse to the presence of suicidal ideation. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation among victims of child sexual abuse is 28%. The factors that were found to have a statistically significant association with suicidal ideation were age and closest relation to perpetrator. For each additional year from 6 to 17 years of age, the odds of having suicidal ideation increased by a factor of 1.33 (95% CI 1.19, 1.49; p<0.001). Victims who were abused by an immediate family member had increased odds of suicidal ideation by a factor of 2.12 (95% CI 1.12, 4.03; p=0.021). Conclusion Suicide is prevalent among victims of child sexual abuse. A high index of suspicion should be given to older adolescents and those whose perpetrators are immediate family members.
Suicidal Ideation ; Child Abuse ; Sex Offenses ; Mental Health