Suicide and Suicidal Behavior. In: Diclemente RJ, Hansen WB, Ponton LE, editors. Handbook of Adolescent Health Risk Behavior. Boston: Springer US; 1996. pp. 193-224. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4899-0203-0_8]

Mattering and Suicide Ideation: Establishing and Elaborating a Relationship

Mattering is the belief that one makes a difference in the lives of others. We explore the effect of mattering on adolescent suicide ideation. The data source is the 2000 Youth At Risk Survey, composed of interviews with 2,004 youths, age 11–18 and screening interviews with their parents. Our analysis reveals that those who matter more are significantly less likely to consider suicide. In addition, we elaborate the relationship between mattering and suicide ideation by postulating a series of intervening variables (self-esteem and depression): mattering influences levels of self-esteem, which in turn influences depression, which ultimately leads to suicide ideation. Results demonstrate that mattering is mediated fully by these intervening variables, and that self-esteem is the primary source of the mediation. We discuss the implications of these results for adolescents' self-concepts.

University students' suicidal thoughts and influencing factors

This research was planned as a descriptive study for the purpose of examining the suicidal thoughts of first-year university students and the factors that might affect them. The research was conducted with the participation of first-year students (class of 1992) at Ege University between January 2003 and October 2004. The research data were collected on a form prepared by the researcher to determine the university students' socio-demographic characteristics and their suicidal thoughts, the trait anger, expression of anger inventory and the brief symptom inventory. It was determined that 2.4% of the students had suicidal thoughts, and 11.2% of the students had previously attempted suicide. The risk factors of the students' suicidal thoughts were determined to be issues of gender, school problems, family relationships, anger expression, somatization, hostility, psychotic symptoms, phobic anxiety, anxiety disorder and interpersonal sensitivity.

The relationship between seriously considering, planning, and attempting suicide in the youth risk behavior survey

The assumed ordinal relationship between seriously considering, planning, and attempting suicide in the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was examined by constructing a trajectory that identified all possible response patterns among the four questions measuring suicidal activity. Statistical analysis tested for differences in frequency of risk behaviors across levels of the trajectory. Overall, the trajectory provided insight to the progression of adolescent suicidal activity and demonstrated usefulness as a measure of suicidal intent. Significant differences between means of dependent variables at each level of the normative trajectory supported the hypothesis that frequency of risk behaviors increases monotonically with successive suicidal thought and behavior.

Aspects of suicidal behavior, depression, and treatment in college students: results from the spring 2000 national college health assessment survey

The National College Health Assessment Survey (NCHA), sponsored by the American College Health Association, measured depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among 15,977 college students in the academic year 1999-2000. Similar to the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1995, 9.5% of students reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide and 1.5% of students reported that they had attempted suicide within the last school year. The NCHA findings show a relationship between suicidal behavior and depressed mood. Depressed mood, difficulties of sexual identity, and problematic relationships all increase the likelihood of vulnerability to suicidal behavior. Less than 20% of students reporting suicidal ideation or attempts were receiving treatment.

Relationships of sexual abuse, connectedness, and loneliness to perceived well-being in homeless youth

ISSUES AND PURPOSE

To describe respondents' perceptions of connectedness, loneliness, and well-being; and to explore relationships among these variables.

DESIGN AND METHOD

Survey data from 96 participants, focus group interviews with 32 participants, and 10 individual interviews were analyzed.

RESULTS

Sixty percent of the sample reported sexual abuse, which was significantly related to loneliness and inversely related to connectedness and perceived well-being. Subjects felt lonely and disconnected. They perceived their well-being in terms of current health status.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

High rates of sexual abuse, lack of connectedness, and loneliness may help to explain poor perceived well-being in homeless youth.