title: Social support as a protective factor in suicide: findings from two nationally representative samples.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suicide is a problem of worldwide concern and research on possible protective factors is needed. We explored the role of social support as one such factor. Specifically, we hypothesized that increased social support would be associated with decreased likelihood of a lifetime suicide attempt in two nationally representative samples as well as a high-risk subsample.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the relationship between social support and lifetime history of a suicide attempt, controlling for a variety of related psychopathology and demographic variables, in the National Comorbidity Study Replication (NCS-R), a United States sample and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Study (APMS), an English sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicate that social support is associated with decreased likelihood of a lifetime suicide attempt controlling for a variety of related predictors in both the full US sample (OR=0.68, p<.001) and the full English sample (OR=0.93, p<.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-sectional data do not allow true cause and effect analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest social support is associated with decreased likelihood of a lifetime suicide attempt. Social support is a highly modifiable factor that can be used to improve existing suicide prevention programs worldwide.
authors: Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Mail Stop 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. Ekleiman1@gmail.com
authors: Evan M
authors: EM
authors: Kleiman
authors: Richard T
authors: RT
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D003625:Data Collection; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adult psychiatric morbidity study; Epidemiological study; National comorbidity study; Resiliency; Social support; Suicide