268290 Friends' Suicide Attempt Influence on Adolescents' Suicidal Ideation

Sunday, October 28, 2012

In Han Song, PhD , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Health and Mental Health Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Sewon Kwon, MSW , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Danbi Park, BA , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Health and Mental Health Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Heejin Kimm, MD PhD , Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Background: Suicide, one of the most serious social problems in current Korea, has been known to negatively influence other people. Especially, in the adolescent period when sensitively influenced by peer group members, friends' suicide-related behaviors may have a serious impact on adolescents. Therefore, this study is to investigate the influence of friends' suicide attempts on adolescents' suicidal ideation, and to examine the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between friends' suicide attempts and adolescents' suicidal ideation.

Methods: Data were collected from 549 middle school students of 5 schools selected from each regional districts of Seoul and Incheon metropolitan areas. Multiple regression analysis was used for analysis.

Results: First, it is found that friends' suicidal attempts statistically significantly increases adolescents' suicidal ideation(β=.16, p<.001). Second, social support has a moderating effect on the relationship between friends' suicide attempts and adolescents' suicidal ideation(β=-.09, p<.05). In other words, students who have friends with suicide attempts reported a greater level of suicidal ideation; and having social support resources reduced the effects of friends' suicide attempts resulting in lowered level of suicidal ideation.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that, at the crisis occurrence of suicidal-related behaviors among adolescents, prompt crisis intervention should be made to prevent from increasing the negative influence on peer members, and efforts should be directed at constructing social support systems in families, schools, and communities.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Investigate the influence of friends’ suicide attempts on adolescents’ suicidal ideation Examine the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between friends’ suicide attempts and adolescents’ suicidal ideation. Discuss crisis intervention at the time of suicide attempt occurrence among adolescents. Discuss public health efforts for constructing social support systems in families, schools, and communities.

Keywords: Suicide, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: as professor and director of Health and Mental Health Lab at Yonsei University Graduate School of Social Welfare, I planned this study, analyzed the data, and wrote the abstract with other colleagues.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 2042.0: Suicide Prevention Posters