TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2004//
TI  - Teenagers' attitudes about coping strategies and help-seeking behavior for suicidality
JO  - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
A1  - Gould, Madelyn S.
A1  - Velting, Drew
A1  - Kleinman, Marjorie
A1  - Lucas, C.
A1  - Thomas, J. G.
A1  - Chung, Michelle
SP  - 1124
EP  - 1133
VL  - 43
IS  - 9
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To identify youths' attitudes about coping and help-seeking strategies for suicidal ideation/behavior and examine their demographic and clinical correlates. METHOD: A self-report survey was completed by high school students (N = 2,419) in six New York State schools from 1998 through 2001. The relationship between suicide attitudes and gender, depression, substance problems, serious suicidal ideation/behavior, and first-hand experience with a suicidal peer was examined. RESULTS: Two factors that approximate avoidance and approach coping responses, maladaptive coping strategies and help-seeking strategies, respectively, were identified. Boys scored higher than girls (t = 7.96, df = 2341, p < .001), and depressed youths (t = 15.56, df = 2323, p < .001), students with substance problems (t = 11.07, df = 2340, p < .001), and suicidal youths (t = 15.14, df = 2341, p < .001) scored significantly higher than their healthy counterparts on the maladaptive coping strategies factor. Students with first-hand experience with a suicidal peer scored significantly higher on the maladaptive coping strategies factor than those without this experience (t = 7.95, df = 2321, p < .001). Lower risk groups scored significantly higher on an adaptive help-seeking strategies factor. CONCLUSIONS: High-risk adolescents' attitudes are characterized by core beliefs that support the use of maladaptive coping strategies in response to depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Targeting such attitudes is a recommended component of youth suicide prevention efforts.<p /> <p>Language: en</p> 
LA  - en
SN  - 0890-8567
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -