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Predictors of Suicidal Ideation Among Children and Adolescents: Roles of Mental Health Status and Meaning in Life

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Abstract

Background

Meaning in life has been depicted as an important psychological resource for both children and adults.

Objective

The specific aims of this study were to quantify the rates and severity of suicidal ideation in a sample of 6165 Chinese children and adolescent students from a wide range of areas across China and to investigate whether mental health status and meaning in life would be the predictors for suicidal ideation. More importantly, meaning in life was investigated as a possible moderator and a mediator of the influence of mental health status on suicidal ideation.

Methods

Descriptive statistical analyses, Pearson correlation analyses, and hierarchical regression analyses were adopted as methods of data analyses.

Results

Approximately 33.71% of students reported having suicidal ideation. Both mental health status and meaning in life were strong predictors of suicidal ideation. Results indicated that poorer mental health status was significantly associated with more severe suicidal ideation, whereas a weaker sense of meaning in life was significantly correlated with greater suicidal ideation. Mediation analysis showed that meaning in life partially mediated the link between mental health status and the severity of suicidal ideation. Specifically, students who experienced poorer mental health status might be more likely to report having a weaker sense of meaning in life, which in turn promotes greater suicidal ideation. Moderation analysis showed that the impact of mental health status on suicidal ideation was significantly greater among children and adolescents with a weaker sense of meaning in life.

Conclusions

Results are discussed with regard to the potential value of meaning in life and mental health status in building predictive models of suicidal ideation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the participants for their contributions to this study. We also thank all of our research collaborators and local education authority for their assistances in data collection. This work was also supported by Humanity and Social Science Youth foundation of Ministry of Education of China (16YJC190022 to T.S.X).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Business School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    Ling Tan

  2. Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, Zhongshan Avenue West 55, Guangzhou, 510631, China

    Jinglu Chen & Jingchu Hu

  3. School of Art and Design, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510090, Guangdong, China

    Tiansheng Xia

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  1. Ling Tan
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Correspondence to Tiansheng Xia or Jingchu Hu.

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Tan, L., Chen, J., Xia, T. et al. Predictors of Suicidal Ideation Among Children and Adolescents: Roles of Mental Health Status and Meaning in Life. Child Youth Care Forum 47, 219–231 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-017-9427-9

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