Citation

Buitron V, Vaclavik D, Hill RM, Bose D, Pettit JW. Behav. Ther. 2020; 51(5): 789-799.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.beth.2019.11.004

PMID

32800306

Abstract

Theory and research document the role of perceived burdensomeness in the development of suicide ideation, including in youth. There is a critical need to identify and evaluate variables that foster perceived burdensomeness in youth, with an eye toward advancing etiological models and informing prevention approaches for at-risk youth who are not yet actively suicidal. The current study examined and replicated a conceptual model wherein the association between low parental warmth and burdensomeness is moderated by youth impairment. Participants were 75 and 150 clinic referred youths in Study 1 and Study 2, respectively, with anxiety-related difficulties. Youth impairment significantly moderated the association between low parental warmth and youth perceived burdensomeness such that the association was negative and statistically significant at high levels of impairment, but not at low levels of impairment. The moderation effect was statistically significant in both studies while controlling for anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings provide insight into variables that are associated with a sense of burdensomeness toward others in youth, and identify potential targets for preventing or intervening to reduce perceived burdensomeness in clinic-referred youth.

Language: en

Keywords

perceived burdensomeness; anxiety; impairment; parental warmth