Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Suicidal Adolescents' Social Support from Family and Peers: Gender-Specific Associations with Psychopathology

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Perceptions of social support from family, non-family adults, and peers were examined in relation to the psychopathology reported by 220 suicidal adolescents (152 females) during a psychiatric hospitalization. Results of regression analyses showed that, among females, family support was negatively related to hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Among males, peer support was positively associated with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Across gender, more peer support was associated with more externalizing behavior problems; whereas, family support was negatively related to these problems and to alcohol/substance abuse. Paralleling normative findings, age was positively associated with peer support, and females perceived more peer support than did males. Findings extend previous research on social support to suicidal adolescents, and broaden the literature by examining extrafamilial support and a broader range of relevant psychopathology. That is, perceived social support relates to psychiatric impairment differentially by gender, and normative, age-related variations in perceptions of social support are detected even among highly impaired adolescents. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Youth Self-Report and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. N. (2002). Deaths: Leading causes for 2000. National Vital Statistics Reports, 50(16), Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

  • Barrera, M., & Garrison-Jones, C. (1992). Family and peer social support as specific correlates of adolescent depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 20, 1–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. A. (1988). Beck Hopelessness Scale Manual. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borst, S. R., & Noam, G. G. (1989). Suicidality and Psychopathology in hospitalized children and adolescents. Acta Paedopsychiatry, 52, 165–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buist, K., Dekovic, M., Meeus, W., & Van Aken, M. (2002). Developmental patterns in adolescent attachment to mother, father, and sibling. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31, 167–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., Turgeon, L., & Poulin, F. (2002). Assessing aggressive and depressed children's social relations with classmates and friends: A matter of perspective. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 609–624.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brent, D. A., Johnson, B. A., Perper, J., Connolly, J., Bridge, J., Bartle, S., & Rather, C. (1994). Personality disorder, personality traits, impulsive violence, and completed suicide in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33, 1080–1086.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cumsille, P. E., & Epstein, N. (1994). Family cohesion, family adaptability, social support, and adolescent depressive symptoms in outpatient clinic families. Journal of Family Psychology, 8, 202–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutrona, C. (1989). Ratings of social support by adolescents and adult informants degree of correspondence and prediction of depressive symptoms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 723–730.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Wilde, E. J., Kienhorst, I. C., Diekstra, R. F., & Wolters, W. H. (1992). The relationship between adolescent suicidal behavior and life events in childhood and adolescence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 45–51.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dicker, R., Morrissey, R. F., Abikoff, H., Alvir, J. M. J., Weissman, K., Grover, J., & Koplewicz, H. S. (1997). Hospitalizing the suicidal adolescent: Decision-making criteria of psychiatric residents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 769–776.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., & Owen, L. D. (2002). A longitudinal analysis of friendships and substance use bi-directional influence from adolescence to adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 38, 480–491.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T., Spracken, K., Andrews, D., & Patterson, G. (1996). Deviancy training in male adolescent friendships. Behavior Therapy, 27, 373–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson, D., Wanner, B., Vitaro, F., Horwood, L. J., & Swain-Campbell, N. (2003). Deviant peer affiliations and depression: Confounding or causation? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 605–618.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garnefski, N. (2000). Age differences in depressive symptoms, antisocial behavior, and negative perceptions of family, school, and peers among adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 1175–1181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gauze, C., Bukowski, W. M., Aquan-Assee, J., & Sippola, L. K. (1996). Interactions between family environment and friendship and associations with self-perceived well-being during adolescence. Child Development, 67, 2201–2216.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldston, D., Daniel, S., & Reboussin, D. (1999). Suicide attempts among formerly hospitalized adolescents: A prospective naturalistic study of risk during the first 5 years after discharge. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38, 660–671.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gould, M. S., Greenberg, T., Velting, D. M., & Shaffer, D. (2003). Youth suicide risk and preventive interventions: A review of the past 10 years. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(4), 386–405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrington, R., Kerfoot, M., Dyer, E., McNiven, F., Gill, J., Harrington, V., Woodham, A., & Byford, S. (1998). Randomized trial of a home-based family intervention of children who have deliberately poisoned themselves. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37, 512–518.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hartup, W. (1996). The company they keep: Friendships and their developmental significance. Child Development, 67, 1–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, M. C., & Tanaka-Matsumi, J. (1999). A sequential analysis of depressive behaviors within adolescent peer interactions. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 21, 249–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, K., & Wong, M. M. (1996). Psychometric characteristics of a multidimensional measure to assess impairment: The Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 5, 445–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hogue, A., & Steinberg, L. (1995). Homophily of internalized distress in adolescent peer groups. Developmental Psychology, 31, 897–906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huey, S. J., Henggeler, S. W., Rowland, M. D., Halliday-Boykins, C. A., Cunningham, P. B., Pickrel, S. G., & Edwards, J. (2004). Multisystemic Therapy effects on attempted suicide by youths presenting psychiatric emergencies. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43, 183–190.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kandel, D., Raveis, V., & Davies, M. (1991). Suicidal Ideation in Adolescence: Depression, substance use, and other risk factors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 289–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiesner, J., Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. (2004). “Very Important Persons” in adolescence: Going beyond in-school, single friendships in the study of peer homophily. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 545–560.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • King, C. A. (1997). Suicidal behavior in adolescence. In R. W. Maris, M. M. Silverman, & S. S. Canetto (Eds.), Review of Suicidology (pp. 61–95). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, C. A., Hovey, J. D., Brand, E., Wilson, R., & Ghaziuddin, N. (1997). Prediction of Positive Outcomes for Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1434–1442.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, C. A., Kramer, A., Preuss, L., Kerr, D. C. R., Weisse, L., & Venkataraman, S. (in press). Youth-nominated support team for suicidal adolescents (Version 1): A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

  • King, C. A., Segal, H., Kaminski, K., Naylor, M., Ghaziuddin, N., & Radpour, L. (1995). A prospective study of suicidal behavior following hospitalization. Suicide and Life- Threatening Behavior, 25, 327.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, C. A., Segal, H., Naylor, M., & Evans, T. (1993). Family functioning and suicidal behavior in adolescent inpatients with mood disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32, 1198–1206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J., Lewinsohn, P., & Seely, J. (1998). Gender differences in the suicide-related behaviors of adolescents and young adults. Sex Roles, 39, 839–854.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, M. B., Stein, J. A., & Rotheram-Borus, M. J. (2002). Sex-specific predictors of suicidality among runaway youth. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 31, 27–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn, P., Rohde, P., Seeley, J., & Baldwin, C. (2001). Gender differences in suicide attempts from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 427–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mazza, J. J., & Eggert, L. L. (2001). Activity involvement among suicidal and nonsuicidal high-risk and typical adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 31, 265–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mazza, J., & Reynolds, W. (1998). A longitudinal investigation of depression, hopelessness, social support, and major and minor life events and their relation to suicidal ideation in adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 28, 358–374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meeus, W., & Dekovic, M. (1995). Identity development, parental and peer support in adolescence: Results of a national Dutch survey. Adolescence, 30, 931–944.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perkins, D., & Hartless, G. (2002). An ecological risk-factor examination of suicide ideation and behavior of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 17, 3–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, C. R. (1986). The suicidal child. New York, NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piko, B. (1998). Social support and health in adolescence: A factor analytical study. British Journal of Health Psychology, 3, 333–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prinstein, M., Boergers, J., & Spirito, A. (2001). Adolescents' and their friends' health-risk behavior: Factors that alter or add to peer influence. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 26, 287–298.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prinstein, M., Boergers, J., Spirito, A., Little, T., & Grapentine, W. (2000). Peer functioning, family dysfunction, and psychological symptoms in a risk factor model for adolescent inpatients' suicidalideation severity. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 29, 392–405.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, W. M. (1987). Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale Professional Manual. Odessa, Florida: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, W. M. (1988). Suicidal Ideation Questionnaires—Junior Professional Manual. Odessa, Florida: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shafii, M., Carrigan, S., Whittinghill, J. R., & Derrick, A. (1985). Psychological autopsy of completed suicide in children and adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 1061–1064.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slavin, L. A. (1991). Validation studies of the PEPSS, a measure of perceived emotional support for use with adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 6, 316–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slavin, L., & Compas, B. (1989). The problem of confounding social support and depressive symptoms: A brief report on a college sample. American Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 57–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slavin, L. A., & Rainer, K. L. (1990). Gender differences in emotional support and depressive symptoms among adolescents: A prospective analysis. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 407–421.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spirito, A., Boergers, J., & Donaldson, D. (2000). Adolescent suicide attempters: Post-attempt course and implications for treatment. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 1–13.

  • Steinberg, L., & Silverberg, S. B. (1986). The vicissitudes of autonomy in early adolescence. Child Development, 57, 841–851.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, G., & Featherman, D. L. (1981). A revised socioeconomic index of occupational status. Social Science Research, 10, 364–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau (2000). Census 2000 Briefs and Special Reports: Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin, March 2001.

  • Valery, J. H., O’Connor, P., & Jennings, S. (1997). The nature and amount of support college-age adolescents request and receive from parents. Adolescence, 32, 323–338.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vaux, A. (1985). Variations in social support associated with gender, ethnicity, and age. Journal of Social Issues, 41, 89–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veiel, H. (1993). Detrimental effects of kin support networks on the course of depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 419–429.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., Barclay, L., & Schmied, V. (2004). Defining social support in context: A necessary step in improving research, intervention, and practice. Qualitative Health Research, 14, 942–960.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wills, T. A., & Cleary, S. D. (1996). How are social support effects mediated? A test with parental support and adolescent substance use. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 937–952.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winters, K. C. (1991). Personal Experience Screening Questionnaire Manual. Los Angeles, California: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, A., Trainor, G., Rothwell, J., Moore, A., & Harrington, R. (2001). Randomized trial of group therapy for repeated deliberate self-harm in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 1246–1253.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by Ronald McDonald House Charities and a Student Award Program grant to the first author from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation. The authors wish to thank Sanjeev Venkataraman, MD, for administrative support; Anne Kramer, MSW, ACSW, for project coordination; Jason Washburn, Ph.D., Carrie Hatcher-Kay, Ph.D., Neshe Sarkozy, and Jordana Ostro for data assistance. We also thank participating adolescents and their families, independent evaluators, and the inpatient staff at participating psychiatric hospitals.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    David C. R. Kerr & Cheryl A. King

  2. New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA

    Lesli J. Preuss

  3. Departments of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Cheryl A. King

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Division, University of Michigan Health System, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-0295, USA

    Cheryl A. King

Authors
  1. David C. R. Kerr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lesli J. Preuss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cheryl A. King
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cheryl A. King.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kerr, D.C.R., Preuss, L.J. & King, C.A. Suicidal Adolescents' Social Support from Family and Peers: Gender-Specific Associations with Psychopathology. J Abnorm Child Psychol 34, 99–110 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-005-9005-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-005-9005-8

Search

Navigation