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Social Anxiety Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in a Clinical Sample of Early Adolescents: Examining Loneliness and Social Support as Longitudinal Mediators

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Abstract

Recent research has shown that social anxiety may be related to increased risk for suicidal ideation in teens, although this research largely has been cross-sectional and has not examined potential mediators of this relationship. A clinical sample of 144 early adolescents (72 % female; 12–15 years old) was assessed during psychiatric inpatient hospitalization and followed up at 9 and 18 months post-baseline. Symptoms of social anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, loneliness, and perceived social support were assessed via structured interviews and self-report instruments. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant direct relationship between social anxiety symptoms at baseline and suicidal ideation at 18 months post-baseline, even after controlling for baseline depressive symptoms and ideation. A second multiple mediation model revealed that baseline social anxiety had a significant indirect effect on suicidal ideation at 18 months post-baseline through loneliness at 9 months post-baseline. Social anxiety did not have a significant indirect effect on suicidal ideation through perceived social support from either parents or close friends. Findings suggest that loneliness may be particularly implicated in the relationship between social anxiety and suicidality in teens. Clinicians should assess and address feelings of loneliness when treating socially anxious adolescents.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health grants R01-MH59766 and R01-MH85505 awarded to Mitchell J. Prinstein.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, Campus Box 3270, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Michelle Gallagher & Mitchell J. Prinstein

  2. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    Valerie Simon

  3. Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

    Anthony Spirito

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  1. Michelle Gallagher
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  2. Mitchell J. Prinstein
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  4. Anthony Spirito
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Correspondence to Michelle Gallagher.

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Gallagher, M., Prinstein, M.J., Simon, V. et al. Social Anxiety Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in a Clinical Sample of Early Adolescents: Examining Loneliness and Social Support as Longitudinal Mediators. J Abnorm Child Psychol 42, 871–883 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9844-7

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