Relations Between Suicidal Ideation, Depression, and Emotional Autonomy from Parents in Adolescence

Abstract

We examined the relations between depression, emotional autonomy quality-related constructs of separation and detachment, and suicidal ideation, focusing on the unique and common contribution that depression, separation and detachment made to suicidal ideation. We also examined gender differences. 403 adolescents, 196 boys and 207 girls, completed self-report measures of depression, separation and detachment, and suicidal ideation. The data showed a significant relation between depression and suicidal ideation both for boys and girls, and between detachment and suicidal ideation only for boys. Results for boys supported an additive model such that depression and detachment each contributed unique variance to boys' suicidal ideation, and an interactive model such that detachment contributed to exacerbate the risk of suicidal ideation when boys were already at risk because of depression. The data for girls supported an interactive, but not additive, model such that depression and detachment did not contribute independently to girls' suicidal ideation but in a joint way.

The Leuven Adolescent Perceived Parenting Scale (LAPPS): Reliability and Validity with French-Speaking Adolescents in Belgium

“…Detachment (8 items; e.g., "My parents probably talk about different things when I am around from what they talk about when I'm not") measured more conflictual and radical forms of distancing from one's parents, including distrust and perceived alienation. Construct validity of the two subscales was established in several studies (Beyers et al, 2005;Beyers et al, 2003;Ingoglia, Lo Cocco, Liga, & Lo Cricchio, 2011;Pace & Zappulla, 2010). In the present study, alpha was .76 for separation and .63 for detachment and the two subscales were moderately correlated (r = .27, p < .001) in the subsample of French-speaking adolescents.…”

Perceived Parenting and Separation-Individuation in Belgian College Students: Associations with Emotional Adjustment

“…Detachment (8 items; e.g., "I wish my parents would understand who I really am"; alpha = .64) measured more conflictual and radical forms of distancing from one's parents, including distrust and perceived alienation. Construct validity of the two subscales was established in several studies (Beyers et al, , 2005Pace & Zappulla, 2010). The estimates of internal consistency obtained on the present sample were deemed respectable (i.e., alpha .70 or higher) and acceptable (i.e., alpha .60 or higher), respectively (DeVellis, 2003).…”

Does a Mediterranean Model of Family Functioning in the Perception of Italian and Spanish Adolescents Exist? A Cross-National Study

“…According to family system model, the adequate family functioning in adolescence will occur when the hierarchical structure within families contains subsystems organized by communicative rules that enhance harmonious decisionmaking and the formation of firm, yet flexible boundaries (Lindahl et al, 2004;Minuchin, 1974). Several researchers have found that those familial features play a fundamental role in adolescents' developmental trajectories (Pace, & Zappulla, 2010;.…”