Citation

Hirsch J, Ellis JB. Int. J. Soc. Psychiatry 1995; 41(1): 26-30.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City 37614-0649, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7622338

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.

Language: en