title: Exposure to suicidal behaviors: A common suicide risk factor or a personal negative life event?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous suicide risk factors have been proposed but not adequately validated for epidemiology, treatment and prevention efforts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Exposures to suicidal behaviors (ESB), from family and friend suicide attempts and completions, were tested for validity as a suicidal risk factor and also for measurement and construct adequacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous online survey yielded 713 participants (aged 18-71), who reported ESB, completed the Suicidal Affect-Behavior-Cognition Scale (SABCS), and comprised a broad spectrum on those variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tests of dimensionality and internal consistency showed the four ESB variables (attempts/completions through family/friends) were independent and did not form a common factor or an identifiable ESB latent trait. ESB variables were, however, associated with demographic and psychiatric histories. A battery of tests revealed no meaningful associations between ESB and total suicidality or suicide risk factors (social support, depression, anxiety, stress, satisfaction with life and emotional stability). In addition, in contrast to previous reports, young adults ( n = 200; aged 18-20) showed no increased suicidality due to ESB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results showed no validity for ESB as a common risk factor for suicidality or other psychopathology, or as a latent trait. ESB showed evidence as a personal negative life event with individual effects and interpretations.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.|2 School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bettiol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D000069581:Exposure to Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Suicide prevention; contagion; negative life events; psychopathology; risk assessment; risk factors