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Personal and Family Correlates of Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

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Abstract

Based on the family ecological model, personal (hopelessness, social problem solving, emotional competence) and family (parent-adolescent communication, family functioning) quality of life measures related to adolescent suicidal ideation were examined in 5,557 Secondary 1 to Secondary 4 students in Hong Kong. Results showed that suicidal ideation was positively related to adolescent hopelessness but negatively related to emotional competence, social problem solving, father–adolescent communication, mother–adolescent communication and family functioning. Multiple regression analyses showed that hopelessness was the most important predictor of adolescent suicidal ideation, followed by mother–adolescent communication, family functioning, social problem solving, father–adolescent communication, and emotional competence. Path analyses with and without direct effects showed that hopelessness mediated the effect of personal and family correlates on adolescent suicidal ideation. Theoretical and practice implications of the findings are discussed.

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Acknowledgement

The preparation for this paper was financially supported by Wofoo Foundation Limited.

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  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Sylvia Y. C. Lai Kwok

  2. Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

    Daniel T. L. Shek

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  1. Sylvia Y. C. Lai Kwok
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Correspondence to Sylvia Y. C. Lai Kwok.

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Lai Kwok, S.Y.C., Shek, D.T.L. Personal and Family Correlates of Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong. Soc Indic Res 95, 407–419 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-009-9528-4

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