An Ecological Exploration of Black Adolescent Psychopathology:Depression and Suicidal Ideation.

Black Adolescent Suicide;Perceived Burdensomeness;Family Support;African Studies;Psychology;Social Sciences;Psychology

Merchant, Christopher RossJoe, Sean ;

University of Michigan

关键词: Black Adolescent Suicide;    Perceived Burdensomeness;    Family Support;    African Studies;    Psychology;    Social Sciences;    Psychology;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/78921/chrimerc_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Depression and suicidal thinking are significant issues among Black adolescents in the United States.The Surgeon General (1999) spoke of the public health problem of Black American suicide, and research has shown that as many as 9% of Black adolescents meet criteria for Major Depressive Episodes and 13% report seriously considering suicide (Roberts, Roberts, & Chen, 1997; Eaton et al., 2008). Numerous psychosocial functioning variables have been implicated in research as risk factors for the development of depression and suicidal thinking.Several theories have been developed to outline societal/interpersonal influences on suicide specifically (Durkheim, 1897; Joiner 2005).Despite, however, the amount of research on suicidal ideation and depression among adolescents, comparatively little attention has been paid to factors that relate to these problems specifically among Black youth.The goal of this theoretically-driven study was to examine the social/interpersonal variables that predict depression and suicidal ideation among Black youth.This study aimed to supplement current research in this area by determining how different social/interpersonal variables (perceived social support, interpersonal orientation, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, social integration, and peer victimization) produce unique risk for depression and suicidal thinking. Within this study sample of 69 Black adolescents, it was found that perceived burdensomeness—the perception of one’s self as a burden on loved ones—predicted suicidal ideation.Perceived burdensomeness and perceived family support were both predictors of depressive symptoms; burdensomeness a negative predictor and family support a positive predictor.These data contribute significantly to ecological understandings of Black adolescent suicidality and depression in that they offer insight into the cognitive patterns that are indicators of psychopathological thoughts and behaviors.