The Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Depression, and Hopelessness on Adolescent Suicidal Behaviors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness as mediators between known risk factors and suicidal behaviors among 1,287 potential high school dropouts. As a step toward theory development, a model was tested that posited the relationships among these variables and their effects on suicidal behaviors. Structural equation models, estimated separately by gender, revealed support for the model, and substantial similarities between males and females. The results showed direct effects of depression and hopelessness on suicidal behaviors for males, and direct effects of hopelessness, but not depression, for females. For both males and females, anxiety was directly linked to depression and hopelessness; drug involvement had both direct and indirect effects on suicidal behavior. As hypothesized, lack of family support showed indirect influences on suicidal behaviors through anxiety for both males and females. The results have important implications for future model development regarding adolescent suicidal behaviors.

Personal and Family Correlates of Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

“…This is consistent with 16 previous findings that adolescents who had inadequate problem-solving skills were at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (e.g., Kingsbury et al, 1999;Thompson, et al, 2005). Moreover, results showed that a higher level of hopelessness was associated with a higher level of adolescent suicidal ideation.…”

“…Although previous studies had found that hopelessness mediated the relationship between other personal factors (e.g., depression, anxiety, and rumination) and suicidal ideation (e.g., MacLeod et al, 2005;Smith et al, 2006;Thompson, et al, 2005), this study was pioneering in identifying the mediating role of hopelessness between 20 emotion competence, parent-adolescent communication, family functioning, and adolescent suicidal ideation, which was different from Levy et al's (1995) findings.…”

“…Based on the previous research findings (Miros, 2000;Thompson et al, 2005), it was predicted that hopelessness would mediate the relationship between the personal and family quality of life and suicidal ideation (Hypothesis 6).…”

Family Relationships and Suicide Ideation: The Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Hopelessness, and Depression in Adolescents

“…This implies that traditional Asian communication norms reduce the openness and expressiveness used in communication. Family emotional expressiveness as an indicator of family support was related to suicidal behaviors in adolescents and the absence of family expressiveness may contribute to an elevated risk for the onset of suicidal behaviors (20). Conversely, family cohesion may be a protective factor against suicidal behaviors (5).…”

Depressivität, selbstverletzendes und suizidales Verhalten bei Jugendlichen mit riskanter und pathologischer Internetnutzung

“…Ebenso wie beim pathologischen Internetkonsum stehen auch diese Verhaltensweisen in deutlichem Zusammenhang mit psychischen Problemen und insbesondere Depressivität (Brunner et al, 2007;Thompson, Mazza, Herting, Randell, Eggert, 2005). Epidemiologische Untersuchungen eines Zusammenhangs von pathologischer Internetnutzung mit selbstverletzenden sowie suizidalen Verhaltensweisen im Jugendalter gibt es bisher in Deutschland nicht.…”