The relationship between parenting behavior, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt across two population-based samples of adolescents

J Affect Disord. 2025 May 5:S0165-0327(25)00786-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.05.030. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We examined the relationship between parenting, suicidal ideation (SI), and the transition from SI to suicide attempt (SA), and whether parenting behaviors moderate the associations of genetic liability for SA and/or painful and provocative events (PPEs) with SA risk. Participants included 6153 adolescents (48.3 % female, M_age at baseline = 9.47 years, followed over 3 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) and 5942 adolescents (52.1 % female, M_age at baseline = 15.55 years, followed over 1 year) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). We used logistic regression to test associations between parenting and SI/SA. Genetic liability and PPEs were included as potential predictors of SA. In ABCD, higher parental acceptance and monitoring were associated with lower risk for SI (odds ratios [ORs] = 0.7-0.9, ps < .01) but not SA (ORs = 0.9, ps > .05). Non-suicidal self-injury and parental knowledge of child SI were associated with elevated risk for SA (ORs = 2.6-2.8, ps < .01), but their interaction was non-significant (OR = 0.9, p = .85). In Add Health, maternal support was related to reduced SI risk (OR = 0.8, p < .01), but paternal support, and both parents’ involvement and presence at home, were not (ORs = 0.9-1.0, ps > .05). Several PPEs were associated with higher SA risk (ORs = 1.3-2.0, ps < .05). These findings suggest that the parent-adolescent relationship may be more relevant to SI, rather than the transition from SI to SA.

PMID:40334862 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.05.030