Stress, self-esteem, and suicidal ideation in late adolescents

Adolescence, Spring, 2005 by Victor R. Wilburn, Delores E. Smith

A noteworthy point is that 12% of the individuals who reported thoughts of suicide could be classified as clinical suicidal ideators. This finding can serve to prompt both professionals and parents to be more cognizant of the emotional development of adolescents. Parents can strive to be more supportive and less critical of their children when they are under stress. Also, parents are in the unique position of helping adolescents build self-esteem and improve problem-solving and coping skills; in turn, this can help them deal with negative life stressors and reduce the occurrence of intrusive thoughts about suicide. Practitioners can provide more counseling services and alternative therapeutic interventions for students, especially when they detect unusual life strains--particularly in the college academic environment.

It should also be noted that 86% of the sample reported that they had experienced thoughts of suicide at some time in their lives, but not to the point where special attention (counseling, medication, or hospitalization) might be needed, 13 percent (n = 11) of whom could be classified as clinical suicide ideators. However, 14% (n = 12) reported that they had never experienced thoughts of suicide. Thus, the proportion of clinical suicidal ideators in this study is similar to the proportion who had never experienced thoughts of suicide. However, it is troubling that the majority of participants did report having suicidal thoughts. It is unclear whether this finding could be an indication that these individuals may eventually need intervention or whether thinking about suicide is a common occurrence in the lives of young people. Further research is necessary to better understand the factors that serve as catalysts in the transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal acts.

Future researchers could improve upon this study through qualitative research. It might be beneficial to conduct interviews with individuals who have never experienced suicidal thoughts, those who have clinically significant thoughts of suicide, and those who experience some thoughts but not to the point of acting on them. Individuals who have never experienced suicidal thoughts would serve as an appropriate baseline for comparing types of stressors, styles of coping, and the importance of self-esteem on suicidality. In addition, future studies should expand their investigation to adolescents and their family members.

Table 1
Correlations Among Predictor and Criterion Variables

                    Life Stressors   Self-esteem   Suicidal Ideation

Life Stressors            --           -.35 **          .33 *
Self-esteem                              --            -.42 ***
Suicidal Ideation                                         --

Table 2

Results of Stepwise Regression for Prediction of Suicidal Ideation

Predictor Variable   Partial [R.sup.2]    F     df     p

Life Stressors             .108          10.3   1    .0019
Self-esteem                .108          11.5   2    .0011
Interaction                .190           7.7   3    .6525