Abstract
Suicide is a prevalent problem in the modern world, which is caused by many different factors. Numerous people die every year because of it, especially among youth, and the fact that their deaths could be prevented is undeniable. Therefore, the question of how to reduce the risk of suicide arises. First, it is essential to be aware of the main factors pushing youth to commit suicide. Undoubtedly, family factors play a critical role in either minimizing or increasing youth suicide risk. Family members have enough capacity to shape immature adolescents’ perceptions and behaviors and put them on the right path. However, adults sometimes need support on their own; thus, they fail to develop good relations with their children. Such an outcome is fraught with dangerous implications for adolescents’ moral health. Therefore, the joint interventions of teachers, healthcare providers, and community members are essential.
Family Factors and Youth Suicide
The reasons prompting adolescents to commit suicide can be different, and this trend among the age group under consideration is a dangerous phenomenon. Many factors influence youth, including family, school, friends, and socioeconomic position. It is vital to be aware of these factors to gain an understanding of how to reduce suicide risk. Without any doubt, family factors play one of the most crucial roles; thus, it is essential to pay special attention to them. Family members may support and advise children to succeed in preventing them from suicidal ideation. On the other hand, parents’ attitudes towards their children may be toxic and lead to negative consequences, such as depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. Therefore, the knowledge of how family factors may increase or minimize suicide risk is crucial in decreasing the number of adolescents suffering from suicidal ideation and increasing the quality of adult-teenager interaction.
Family Factors Increasing Suicide Risk
Family factors can increase youth suicide risk in many different ways. First, adolescents are more likely to have a suicide attempt if they cannot effectively communicate with their parents. Ackard, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, and Perry (2006) stated that about 25% of teenagers are unable to talk to their parents, and those who feel the lack of parental care and attention had more chances to experience suicidal ideation. In addition, Randell, Wang, Herting, and Eggert (2006) mentioned that conflicts with parents and unmet family goals are associated with increased youth suicide risk. This problem is prevalent in many families despite socioeconomic factors since adults may concentrate too much on their work or fail to find ways to communicate with immature individuals successfully. In addition, even if parents are attentive to their child, this does not mean that communication will be positive. According to Randell et al. (2006), unsociable adolescents tend to distrust adults and are reluctant to discuss individual psychological problems. This, in turn, is fraught with the loss of contact between a child and parents and is a driver that prompts teenagers to seek a way out in suicidal thoughts.
Second, those adults who suffer from alcohol or drug abuse may be perceived as role models by adolescents. According to Randell et al. (2006), alcohol and drug abuse among family members or caregivers cause youth to experience anxiety that can lead to suicidal thoughts. Individuals who grow up in such surroundings are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs, get involved in crime, and suffer from mental issues. All the aforementioned problems lead to increased suicide risks as well. However, Sellers, McRoy, and McManama O’Brien (2019) discovered that those teenagers who interacted with adult caregivers with addiction experiences were at a lower risk of unhealthy behaviors since former addicts had already observed adverse consequences of substance abuse. Nevertheless, adults suffering from alcohol or drug abuse are rarely able to create a nurturing environment for their children. As Sellers et al. (2019) stated, an interaction mode would be effective if adults were eager to help adolescents recognize the signs of depression and suicide, thereby stimulating productive communication. However, few adults are aware of the principles of the basics of psychological assistance for children.
Finally, family depression and parents with mental issues increase youth suicide risk significantly. Ackard et al. (2006) mentioned that parents’ depression was associated with its recurrence, chronicity, and severity in children. Adolescents who spend some time with their family members or caregivers suffering from depression, anxiety, and different mental issues may unconsciously adopt various symptoms leading to suicidal ideation. Sellers et al. (2019) confirmed this idea and noted that children’s psychological well-being largely depended on the communication environment in which teenagers lived. The inability to recognize early signs of suicidal tendencies in adolescents is largely due to the lack adults’ initiative and their indifference. Randell et al. (2006) added that teenagers’ satisfaction with interaction with parents was significant in determining children’s behavior and their psychological well-being, which supported the idea of the influence of family environment on adolescent morale. Moreover, as the researchers stated, parents with mental illnesses might also abuse substances and fail to communicate with their children successfully (Randell et al., 2006). As a result, the idea of a negative interaction environment and the impact of harmful adults’ addictions on adolescents’ suicidal intentions is confirmed.
Family Factors Reducing Suicide Risk
Parents or caregivers can also considerably minimize youth suicide risk. They can develop friendly contact with children and create an environment in which a teenager can feel safe. According to Ackard et al. (2006), behavioral and emotional health is associated with valuing parents’ opinions, perceiving parental caring, and sharing one’s problems with parents. Sellers et al. (2019) expressed a similar idea and noted that influencing adolescents’ behavior could be effective in case of establishing contact with adults. The interaction mechanism based on the discussion of the challenges encountered by teenagers during the period of social adaptation is of high importance as a factor that minimizes suicidal intentions risks. Nevertheless, children often lack such opportunities, and this leads to negative outcomes that are crucial to prevent. Building good relations with adolescents is critical for adults because teenagers need to have advisors to turn to in a time of crisis and entrust their concerns. Otherwise, they may endure depression, suffer from substance abuse, or get involved in crime, which can cause increased suicide risk. Hence, developing good relations with children should be a priority for parents or caregivers.
In addition, support is vital for immature individuals, who often lack knowledge and have to cope with severe problems on their own. Undoubtedly, suicidal ideation is one of the most critical challenges teenagers may face. Family members or caregivers should be supportive and avoid judging vulnerable adolescents not to push them to think about suicide or even commit it. As Randell et al. (2006) stated, “youth reported feelings of specific support for school, availability of family members to talk about depression and suicidal ideation, and support satisfaction predicted lower suicide-risk status” (p. 266). This argument proves that family factors can play a significant role in preventing adolescents from suicidal ideation. If parents or caregivers are supportive and non-judgmental, their children are more likely to share their concerns and be interested in solving their problems. Therefore, adolescents who have good relations with their family members and are continuously supported are at lower suicide risk. However, those teenagers whose parents or caregivers abuse substances, suffer from mental illnesses, or fail to communicate effectively with their children are at higher suicide risk.
As an essential factor in stimulating the reduction of suicidal thoughts in adolescents, peer interaction should be taken into account. According to Sellers et al. (2019), based on the research results, those students who had friends at school showed depressive moods less often than those without social contacts. Ackard et al. (2006) offered similar ideas and argued that for some teenagers, peers’ opinions played a more important role than those of parents’, which explained the distance among family members. This aspect could be used profitably by caregivers, for instance, through mass impacts and the involvement of groups of adolescents in ideological work to prevent suicidal intentions. In addition to the aforementioned ideas, Randell et al. (2006) noted the criticism of adolescents and their comparison with non-suicidal peers as a factor aggravating their morale. The failure to comply with generally accepted behavioral norms makes teenagers withdrawn and angry, which, in turn, leads to depression and the distorted perception of the communicative environment. As a result, adults’ help based on child support and interaction at individual and group levels are positive drivers contributing to the reduction of suicidal intentions in this population.
Conclusion
Youth suffering from suicidal ideation deserve particular attention and proper treatment. Family members are those who can influence adolescents’ emotional state both positively by involving teenagers in communication and negatively. Family factors play a crucial role in increasing or minimizing youth suicide risk. For instance, those parents who cannot communicate with their children effectively or those suffering from mental illnesses or substance abuse are bad role models. In contrast, if family members develop close and friendly relations with adolescents and are supportive and non-judgmental, suicide risk reduces. Adolescents’ negative perception of communication with adults can be explained by various reasons – the indifference of parents, criticism of behavior, and comparison with peers.
There are many ways to eliminate the negative influence of family factors on youth suicidal ideation and decrease the number of adolescents suffering from it. Although parents, caregivers, and family members are the main stakeholders, teachers, healthcare providers, neighbors, and community members can contribute to improving the situation as well. Involving different parties to help the target audience is imperative. The roles of parents include establishing positive interactions with their children and creating a supportive environment to minimize dangerous suicidal thoughts. Other stakeholders, for instance, caregivers should empower and assist adolescents in dealing with moral stress and anxiety. Combining the efforts of different stakeholders is an effective measure to help adolescents and maintain a safe environment for productive interaction.
References
Ackard, D. M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., & Perry, C. (2006). Parent-child connectedness and behavioral and emotional health among adolescents.American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30(1), 59-66. Web.
Randell, B. P., Wang, W., Herting, J. R., & Eggert, L. L. (2006). Family factors predicting categories of suicide risk.Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15(3), 247-262. Web.
Sellers, C. M., McRoy, R. G., & McManama O’Brien, K. H. (2019). Substance use and suicidal ideation among child welfare involved adolescents: A longitudinal examination.Addictive Behaviors, 93, 39-45. Web.