BELLEFONTE, PA - DECEMBER 13: Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sits in a car while leaving the Centre County Courthouse, on December 13, 2011 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Sandusky, who was charged with sexual abuse involving 10 boys he met through the Second Mile nonprofit organization, appeared briefly at today's preliminary hearing. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)(Credit: Getty Images)
By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The American Journal of Public Health has published a very important paper looking at child abuse and its long term effects.
According to the journal, children who are victims of abuse are more likely to atttempt suicide as adults and those who are sexually abused as children may have triple the risk of others.
This is a very important report because it serves as a study which may encourage physicians to get detailed histories of child abuse from adult patients and allow them to be more aware of the potential risk of suicide.