Parent-Youth Closeness and Youth's Suicidal Ideation

Abstract

Data from a nationally representative sample of adolescents studied at two points in time are used to examine gender-specific influence of parent-youth closeness on youth's suicidal ideation and its variations by stages of adolescence and race or ethnicity. Logistic regression analyses yielded interesting findings: (a) Closeness with fathers exerts an important influence on girls, and this effect is observed regardless of stages of adolescence and race/ethnicity; (b) the influence of fathers on boys declines toward late adolescence, and fathers’ effect is more pronounced among Native and Asian American boys; (c) closeness with mothers is important for boys of early and late teens but not among midteens; and (d) relationship with mothers exerts little influence on girls with the exception that among Asian American girls, closeness with mothers does exercise a weak effect (i.e., more so than White girls). These results are discussed in light of their theoretical and policy implications.

The Intersections of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender: Applications to Asian American Fathers

“…By contrast, father-child closeness is conducive to child positive outcomes. Among AAs, father-child closeness was linked to children's lower risk of suicide ideation (Liu, 2005) as well as increased autonomy, an association stronger than that of mother-child closeness (Kiang & Bhattacharjee, 2019).…”

Suicidal ideation - Wikipedia

“…Closeness with the father in late adolescence is "significantly related to suicidal ideation". [45] Liu goes on to explain the relationship found between closeness with the opposite sex parent and the child's risk of suicidal thoughts. It was found that boys are better protected from suicidal ideation if they are close to their mothers through early and late adolescence; whereas girls are better protected by having a close relationship with their father during middle adolescence.…”