The Association between Perceived Family Financial Stress and Adolescent Suicide Ideation: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Nowadays, suicide (especially adolescents’ suicide) has been an increasingly prominent social problem worldwide; suicide ideation, as an important predictor, has been the focus of relevant studies and practices. Against this background, the present study aimed to examine the association between perceived family financial stress and adolescents’ suicidal ideation, as well as the potential roles of depression and parent-child attachment. A sample of 526 junior middle school students was recruited voluntarily to participate in this cross-sectional study, and the results indicated that the prevalence of suicidal ideation among junior high school students was 15.45%; perceived family financial stress was positively associated with suicidal ideation, and depression could significantly mediate this relation; parent–child attachment significantly moderated the mediating effect of depression (in particular, the relation between depression and suicidal ideation); specifically, this relation was stronger among adolescents with lower values of parent–child attachment. These findings could deepen our understanding of the influences of perceived family financial condition and the risky factors of adolescents’ suicidal ideation, which could provide guidance for the prevention and intervention of adolescents’ depression and suicidal ideation.

Keywords

• suicidal ideation
• perceived family financial stress
• parent–child attachment
• depression
• adolescents