Social support and suicide potential: preliminary findings for adolescent populations

The relationship between both the quantity and perceived quality of social support and suicidal risk was examined in a sample of 50 adolescents whose ages ranged from 16 to 20 years. A multiple regression analysis was performed, using scores from Cull and Gill's 1983 Suicide Probability Scale as the criterion measure along with the predictor variables of quantity and quality of experienced social support as measured by the 1983 Social Support Questionnaire of Sarason, Levine, Basham, and Sarason. Analysis showed the social support variables accounted for over 52% of the variance in suicide potential. The greatest proportion of the variance in suicide risk was attributable to the quality of the perceived social support. Adolescents at greater risk for suicide were significantly less satisfied with the quality of their social support.