TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - When self-reliance is not safe: associations between reduced help-seeking and subsequent mental health symptoms in suicidal adolescents JO - International journal of environmental research and public health A1 - Labouliere, Christa D. A1 - Kleinman, Marjorie A1 - Gould, Madelyn S. SP - 3741 EP - 3755 VL - 12 IS - 4 N2 - The majority of suicidal adolescents have no contact with mental health services, and reduced help-seeking in this population further lessens the likelihood of accessing treatment. A commonly-reported reason for not seeking help is youths' perception that they should solve problems on their own. In this study, we explore associations between extreme self-reliance behavior (i.e., solving problems on your own all of the time), help-seeking behavior, and mental health symptoms in a community sample of adolescents. Approximately 2150 adolescents, across six schools, participated in a school-based suicide prevention screening program, and a subset of at-risk youth completed a follow-up interview two years later. Extreme self-reliance was associated with reduced help-seeking, clinically-significant depressive symptoms, and serious suicidal ideation at the baseline screening. Furthermore, in a subset of youth identified as at-risk at the baseline screening, extreme self-reliance predicted level of suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms two years later even after controlling for baseline symptoms. Given these findings, attitudes that reinforce extreme self-reliance behavior may be an important target for youth suicide prevention programs. Reducing extreme self-reliance in youth with suicidality may increase their likelihood of appropriate help-seeking and concomitant reductions in symptoms.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1661-7827 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120403741 ID - ref1 ER -