Factors Associated With Multiple Versus Single Episode Suicide Attempts in the 1990–1992 and 2001–2003 United States National Comorbidity Surveys

This study sought to examine psychiatric and childhood traumatic event correlates of multiple suicide attempts (MSA) compared with single suicide attempts (SSA) in 2 nationally representative samples of the United States general population. Data came from the National Comorbidity Survey (n = 5,401; age 18-54; response rate = 82.4%) and the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (n = 4,083; age 18-54; response rate = 70.9%). Multiple logistic regressions were used to compare individuals with MSA to those with a SSA on the variables of interest after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Individuals with a history of MSA had significantly higher odds of experiencing several traumatic events in childhood in the 2 surveys. Most notably, comorbidity of 3 or more mental disorders and the presence of at least 1 anxiety disorder distinguished individuals with MSA from those with a SSA in both surveys, suggesting the potential importance of these variables in association with multiple suicide attempts.