Psychological and sociological aspects of parenting and their relation to suicidal behavior

The article reviews the evidence on the role of childhood adversities, family structure, and parenting in youth suicidal behavior, and suggests that future suicide research could benefit from investigating how parenting can protect against suicidal behavior in young people at risk. It discusses how empirical studies have moved from routinely including various operationalizations of "non-optimal" parenting as a "risk factor" for adolescent suicidal behavior to identifying pathways of influence and buffer effects. It argues that measures (both at the micro and the macro level) that target vulnerable populations such as parents with weak material and social resources, low social and emotional support, mental health problems and few networks, and high-risk children might be beneficial in preventing youth suicidal behaviors.