Citation

Ling Y, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Scott Huebner E. J. Adolesc. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1002/jad.12167

PMID

36999943

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Youth suicide is a worldwide public health and social issue. Suicidal ideation (SI), which spans a spectrum of thoughts from mild cognitions about death to serious and specific plans about taking one's life, is a significant risk factor for actual completed suicide. Thus, it is important to identify the environmental factors and psychological mechanisms that affect SI in adolescents.

METHODS: A sample of 607 Chinese high school students (M(age) = 16.20, SD = 0.55) participated. Latent growth curve modeling was used to examine developmental trends in emotional problems and SI, incorporating a four-wave longitudinal design over a 1-year interval. A longitudinal mediation model was constructed to examine the effects of the intercept and slope of emotional problems in the relation between negative life events and SI.

RESULTS: The results indicated that: (1) adolescents demonstrated a linear decrease in emotional problems and SI during the follow-up period, and the higher the initial level, the slower the growth rate; (2) negative life events demonstrated a significant positive predictive effect on the initial level of adolescent SI; and (3) negative life events played an indirect role in the initial level of adolescent SI through the initial level of emotional problems.

CONCLUSIONS: Negative life events and emotional problems are influential factors in the level of SI in adolescents; however, further research is needed regarding the rate of change in SI.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescents; suicidal ideation; negative life events; emotional problems; latent growth model