The Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Depression, and Hopelessness on Adolescent Suicidal Behaviors

• Published in: Suicide & life-threatening behavior Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 14 - 34
• Main Authors: Thompson, Elaine Adams, Mazza, James J., Herting, Jerald R., Randell, Brooke P., Eggert, Leona L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2005; Guilford Press; Guilford
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Demography; Depression (Psychology); Depression - epidemiology; Drinking; Dropouts; Drug Use; Evidence; Family Involvement; Family Programs; Female; Females; High School Students; Humans; Male; Males; Medical sciences; Mental depression; Mental Health; Potential Dropouts; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk; Risk Factors; Self destructive behavior; Structural Equation Models; Substance Abuse; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data; Suicides & suicide attempts; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Human; Mood disorder; Consumption; Social environment; Structural equation modeling; Illicit drug; Sex; Anxiety disorder; Depression; Suicide; Alcoholic beverage; Correlation analysis; Psychological distress; Adolescent; Risk factor; Family environment; School failure; Social support
• ISSN: 0363-0234; 1943-278X
• DOI: 10.1521/suli.35.1.14.59266

The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness as mediators between known risk factors and suicidal behaviors among 1,287 potential high school dropouts. As a step toward theory development, a model was tested that posited the relationships among these variables and their effects on suicidal behaviors. Structural equation models, estimated separately by gender, revealed support for the model, and substantial similarities between males and females. The results showed direct effects of depression and hopelessness on suicidal behaviors for males, and direct effects of hopelessness, but not depression, for females. For both males and females, anxiety was directly linked to depression and hopelessness; drug involvement had both direct and indirect effects on suicidal behavior. As hypothesized, lack of family support showed indirect influences on suicidal behaviors through anxiety for both males and females. The results have important implications for future model development regarding adolescent suicidal behaviors.