Abstract

Suicide risk is rapidly increasing in children and adolescents. It is vital that research explores the causes in child and adolescent suicide risk. Research has failed to identify if the marital relationship may be correlated with this increase in suicide ideation in children. This study set out to determine if a child's perception of their parents' marital conflict impacts the child's suicidal risk. Using the Family Foundations of Youth Development project this study analyzed 1,692 parent and child participants to test if the child's perceptions of the marital conflict impacted their suicide risk and if the parent's own report of their relationship instability would impact child suicide risk. Results indicated that the child's perceptions were statistically significant in predicting suicide risk in adolescents. However, the parent's report was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that the child's perceptions of the parent's marital conflict impacts their suicide risk and should be considered when working with suicidal adolescents. Implications for working with suicidal youth is that clinicians focus on working with and treating the whole family system.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life

Rights

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