Vulnerability to Suicide Ideation: Comparative Study between Adolescents with and without Psychosocial Risk

Abstract

Adolescents are characterized as a risk group for suicide, being the fourth leading cause of death in young people. The main aim was to compare vulnerability to suicidal ideation in a sample of young people with and without psychosocial risk. The total sample consisted of 137 adolescents, aged between 10 and 19 years (M = 14.76; SD = 1.40), and it was composed of two groups—the psychosocial risk group (n = 60) and general population group (n = 77). In both groups, suicidal ideation correlated positively with negative events and negatively with self-esteem and social support satisfaction. When comparing the two groups, the psychosocial risk group presented significantly higher mean values of negative life events (mainly separations/losses and physical and sexual abuse) and significantly lower mean values of satisfaction with social support (particularly with family and social activities). It was also found that, in the psychosocial risk group, negative life events were the only significant predictors of suicidal ideation. This study allowed identifying the role of risk and protective factors in suicidal ideation, according to the psychosocial risk of adolescents. The practical implications of the findings on adolescents’ mental health and the promotion of their well-being are discussed.

Association between health literacy and suicide-related behaviors in middle school students: The mediating role of depressive symptoms

“…In addition, family factors, including relationships with fathers and mothers, relationships between parents and school factors, relationships with teachers and classmates, and academic stress, also in uenced suicide-related behaviors. Zygo [53] and Wang [54] et al suggested that family and school factors are important in uences on the occurrence of suicidal behavior in adolescents and that a disharmonious family atmosphere as well as poor interpersonal relationships at school tend to create extreme, negative personalities in individuals, and when faced with a negative life event, individuals tend to choose extreme methods, such as self-injury and suicide, due to the inability to receive effective social and emotional support [55,56] . Given the sociocultural factors and enrollment pressure in China [57] , academic pressures and achievements tend to be related to adolescents' parent-child and peer relationships [58,59] and psycho-emotional states [60] , which in turn have the potential to in uence the suicide-related behaviors of individuals [61] .…”

Suicide Interventions in Spain and Japan: A Comparative Systematic Review

“…Although eastern-Japanese culture prioritizes stable interdependence, this is in contrast with western cultures, like Spain, that emphasize individual independence and maintaining familial ties [82]. Social support was a variable that was highly taken into account in the interventions aimed at both the Japanese and Spanish populations, either including their relatives in the intervention or facilitating contact with them while they were being treated, as poor social support is a very important variable that predicts suicide attempts, especially between youngsters [83].…”