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The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Social support as a protective factor in suicide: findings from two nationally representative samples
Evan M Kleiman1, Richard T Liu
1Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Mail Stop 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. Ekleiman1@gmail.com
Journal of Affective Disorders
|March 8, 2013
Summary
Increased social support is linked to a lower likelihood of lifetime suicide attempts. This finding highlights social support as a crucial, modifiable factor for global suicide prevention efforts.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Suicide is a significant global public health concern.
- Research into protective factors against suicide is essential.
- Social support is investigated as a potential protective factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between social support and the likelihood of a lifetime suicide attempt.
- To test the hypothesis that higher social support correlates with a reduced risk of suicide attempts.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of two nationally representative samples: the National Comorbidity Study Replication (NCS-R) in the US and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Study (APMS) in England.
- Statistical control for psychopathology and demographic variables.
- Examination of the relationship between social support and lifetime suicide attempt history.
Main Results:
- Social support demonstrated a significant association with a decreased likelihood of a lifetime suicide attempt in both the US and English samples.
- The association remained significant after controlling for relevant predictors (US: OR=0.68, p<.001; England: OR=0.93, p<.01).
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a protective role of social support against lifetime suicide attempts.
- Social support is a modifiable factor with potential for enhancing worldwide suicide prevention strategies.
- Cross-sectional data preclude definitive causal inferences.
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