Associations between suicidal behaviors and environmental factors among a sample of youth with multiple risk characteristics

Using data obtained from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), the current study utilizes a series of standardized explanatory measures to identify associations between suicidal behaviors (ideation and plans for suicide attempts) and environmental factors among a sample of youth with multiple risk characteristics.

NSCAW is a longitudinal study of more than 5,000 youth from 29 states who entered the child welfare system during October 1999 – December 2000 time period. In addition to baseline assessment data collected at the time of enrollment, NSCAW includes follow-up child assessments, parent interviews, and caseworker reports for five waves of data collection. Comparison data, used to validate assumptions of the multiple data system approach, will be obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health); a large school-based study of youth. Using Joiner's Interpersonal-Psychological Theory as a framework for understanding risk for suicide, the current study describes differences in child reports of suicidal behaviors associated with low parental attachment, interpersonal conflict, child maltreatment, and removal from the home due to child abuse or neglect at the time of enrollment.

Results from the current study are detailed and their significance to concurrent analyses are discussed. Drawing upon a continuum of risk model, the characteristics of NSCAW participants are used to detail the development of an integrated multi-sample model for the assessment of risk for suicide among adolescents. Comparative analyses of the associations between suicidal behaviors, household composition, and youth reports of parent-child relationships are also presented.