Can social support buffer the association between depression and suicidal ideation in adolescent boys and girls?

Abstract

The purpose of the current study is to investigate social support (from parents, classmates, teachers, and close friends) as a protective factor in the association between depression and suicidal ideation.Data on students' levels of social support, depression, and suicidal ideation were collected from 399 9th-grade students using the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS), the Children's Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition Short Version (CDI 2), and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire -Junior Version (SIQ-JR). Results of hierarchical linear regressions indicated parent, classmate, and close friend social support buffered the association between depression and suicidal ideation. Close friend social support as a buffer appeared to be more robust for girls. Implications concerning these findings are discussed. K E Y W O R D Sadolescents, depression, social support, suicidal ideation Suicide prevention and intervention efforts recognize suicide as a continuum of behaviors, with suicidal ideation on one end of the spectrum, followed by suicidal intent, suicidal attempt, and finally death by suicide at spectrum's end (Mazza, 2006). In a national survey within the United States, about 17% of high-school students reported seriously contemplating suicide, 13% also reported they had created a plan, and about 8% attempted taking their own life within the last year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Data indicate that approximately one-third of adolescents who contemplate or ideate about suicide attempt suicide (Nock et al., 2013). Prevention and intervention efforts may be informed by research focusing on the initial end of the spectrum of suicidal behaviors-suicidal ideation. It is important that research examines risk factors of potential suicidal ideation such as depression, and investigates potential protective factors. Thus, the current study investigated the role of social support as a potential protective factor in the association between self-reported symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation. 490

Moderating role of social support in the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and antisocial behavior in adolescents after the Ya'an earthquake

“…Its characterization resulted from the separation of avoidance and numbing symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, ). Individuals suffering from NACM have persistent negative beliefs and expectations about the self and the world and generate more negative emotions, all of which may promote antisocial behavior (Fredrick, Demaray, Malecki, & Dorio, ).…”

“…The effect of avoidance symptoms on antisocial behavior was not significant among those with strong social support. One possible reason is that social support offers sufficient security and a sense of belonging (Fredrick et al, ). In this case, the avoidance of trauma cues may have temporarily enabled those participants to avoid the psychological impact imposed by their trauma, and thus their individual negative psychosomatic reactions were alleviated.…”

Psychometric characteristics and measurement invariance across genders of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) among Nigerian adolescents

“…In a crosssectional sample of American adolescent college students, higher levels of perceived social support had a protective effect against suicidal behaviors through the promotion of self-efficacy (Thompson, Eggert, & Herting, 2000). Satisfactory perceived social support from parents and close friends has also been reported to have a buffering effect regarding the association between depression and suicidal ideation among male and female adolescents (Fredrick, Demaray, Malecki, & Dorio, 2018). Also, a number of researchers of the adolescent population have reported significant positive relationships between social support and self-esteem (Marshall, Parker, Ciarrochi, & Heaven, 2014).…”

Parental attachment and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: The mediation effect of emotion regulation

“…In order to provide empirical bases for intervention and treatment of depressive symptoms, this study integrates these three variables and attempts to explore the potential psychological mechanisms behind them. In addition, because previous research suggested that both grade and sex may significantly affect parental attachment (Chen et al, ), expressive suppression (Dong & Zhang, ), and depressive symptoms (Cui, Shi, Zhang, & Yu, ; Fredrick, Demaray, Malecki, & Dorio, ; Luo, Xiang, Zhang, & Wang, ), we included these two variables as covariates in our data analyses. Therefore, based on the above literature review, we examined the relationships between parental attachment, emotion regulation (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal), and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents.…”