A team of researchers from the Australian Federal University has explored how difficult life circumstances in childhood can shape the kind of personality that sometimes leads to self-harm and suicidal behavior. The work was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, reflecting a careful inquiry into the long-term impact of early adversity on mental health outcomes.
The researchers describe childhood adversity as including a range of abusive or neglectful experiences by caregivers. Prior studies have linked such experiences to the emergence of the dark triad traits—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—which reflect particular patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that can influence risk-taking, interpersonal dynamics, and emotional regulation throughout life.
In this investigation, the team set out to test whether these personality features connect with suicide risk. A sample of 1,064 participants completed a survey that assessed the intensity of dark trait manifestations, the level of suicide risk, and the extent of childhood trauma. The findings indicated notable relationships: a substantial portion of participants reported having made at least one suicide attempt, and those reporting higher levels of narcissism and psychopathy tended to show greater suicide risk. The results suggest that the pathway from childhood hardship to suicidal tendencies may pass through the development of these negative personality traits rather than arising from childhood experiences alone.
Lead investigators emphasize that childhood adversity appears to elevate suicide risk by shaping personality in ways that persevere into adulthood. Yet the data also indicate that the strength of these associations tends to lessen with age, hinting at the possibility of resilience, recovery, or other life-course factors that can dampen risk over time. The researchers caution that the relationships observed do not imply inevitability and highlight the importance of early identification, supportive interventions, and ongoing mental health resources to mitigate risk for individuals who carry these traits as they grow older, a point that aligns with broader findings on how aging and life experience influence mental health trajectories.