Peer Leaders as Gatekeepers and Agents of Change: Understanding How Sources of Strength Reduces Suicide Risk and Promotes Wellness

Relationships between negative life events and suicidal ideation among youth in China: The direct and moderating effects of offline and online social support from gender perspective

Background

Suicidal ideation was proved to be a critical precondition leading to the occurrence of subsequent suicidal behavior. Studies have confirmed that negative life events and forms of social support that youth are experiencing in the current socio-cultural context might have unique impacts on their suicidal ideation. However, the specific mechanism is relatively underexplored.

Objective

We sought to investigate the impacts of offline and online social supports on Chinese students’ suicidal ideation under the pressure of various negative life events, as well as potential gender differences in these relationships.

Methods

Participants were 2,018 middle – high school and university students from Northwestern China, who completed a demographics questionnaire and self-report measures of negative life events, social support, and suicidal ideation.

Results

Offline social support had a significant direct effect on suicidal ideation across genders. Among male youth, offline social support only had a moderating effect on the relationship between punitive negative life events and suicidal ideation. Among female youth, offline social support had a significant moderating effect on suicidal ideation under the pressure of all types of negative life events; Online social support only had a significant direct effect on female youth’s suicidal ideation, although it did significantly moderate the relationship between all types of negative life events and suicidal ideation, across genders.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed direct and moderating effects of offline and online social support on suicidal ideation among youth under the pressure of different types of negative life events, as well as gender-specific patterns in these relationships.

Teachers as Youth Suicide Prevention Gatekeepers: An Examination of Suicide Prevention Training and Exposure to Students at Risk of Suicide

Background

Teachers are important gatekeepers in suicide prevention for children and youth, yet little is known about factors that contribute to suicide prevention training effectiveness and the influence of student suicidality on teachers' role as gatekeepers.

Objective

This study examined teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy in suicide prevention including an examination of suicide prevention training and exposure to student suicidality. Researchers examined incremental prediction of the relationship between teachers' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and outcome values following prevention training.

Methods

Participants included teachers in PreK-12th grade schools in the United States (N = 505). Researchers used non-parametric statistics to examine group level differences and a structural equation model (SEM) to test the proposed theoretical model.

Results

Teachers who experienced a student death by suicide reported significantly higher levels of gatekeeper reluctance than teachers who had not experienced a student death by suicide (p < 0.01). Similarly, teachers who encountered students with suicidal thoughts reported greater levels of gatekeeper reluctance (p < 0.01) and higher self-efficacy to engage in suicide prevention (p < 0.05) compared to teachers who had not had this exposure. Results of the SEM indicated an adequate goodness of fit and fit statistics [χ2 (87) = 194.420, p = 0.000; CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.05]. The model remained in-tact when exposure to student suicide was added.

Conclusions

Findings support the importance of supporting teachers continued engagement in youth suicide prevention and prevention training that targets specific outcomes in teachers' attitudes and efficacy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10566-022-09699-5.