title: Family support and other social factors precipitating suicidal ideation.
abstract: To examine the effects of family support and demographics on suicidal behavior, 385 subjects completed a demographic questionnaire and a Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). Sixteen percent described themselves as "serious" ideators, while 59% were seen as ideators, numbers consistent with past suicide research. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the type of caregiver a person reported having while growing up accounted for a significant amount of the variance on ideator status. Serious ideators were more common among single parent households. Although many demographic variables were assessed, only the primary caregiver a person had as a child impacted their status as a suicidal ideator. This suggests that suicidal behaviors may occur due to a complex interaction between social factors and childhood care. The influence of living in a single-parent home may contribute to whether or not a person considers suicide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City 37614-0649, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012945:Social Values; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention