Experiências adversas na infancia e tentativas de suicídio em adultos com obesidade mórbida

introduction: suicide attempts are often associated with eating disorders, both anorexia and bulimia. likewise, a high incidence of suicide has been observed among obese patients. previous studies have shown that adverse experiences in childhood may be a risk factor for suicide attempts. objectives: to characterize and to understand the relationship between adverse experiences and suicide attempts in 100 morbidly obese patients referred for bariatric surgery. methods: a total of 100 patients were selected from september 2007 to october 2007 and from january 2008 to january 2009. of these, 20 patients were male. mean age was 38.89±9.87 years, and mean maximum weight was 136.43±14 kg. the portuguese version of the family ace (adverse childhood experiences) questionnaire was used to assess the occurrence of adverse events. results: 88% of the patients reported the existence of at least one adverse experience in childhood, and 25% reported at least one previous suicide attempt. adversity in childhood was associated with an increased risk for suicide attempts (odds ratio = 2.026). conclusion: these data should be taken into account in the assessment and monitoring of these patients.