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Dynamic Longitudinal Associations Between Adolescent Help-Seeking Attitudes and Suicide Attempts
Shelley Alyse Gresko1,2, Kate L Senich1, Ian J Cero1
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|February 17, 2026
Summary
Adolescent suicide attempts are linked to negative help-seeking attitudes, and vice versa. Interventions promoting positive attitudes can benefit all students, especially those with prior suicide attempts.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents.
- Previous research indicates a link between suicide attempts and negative help-seeking attitudes.
- The longitudinal impact of suicidal experiences on help-seeking attitudes requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the reciprocal, longitudinal associations between adolescent help-seeking attitudes and suicide attempts.
- To understand the bidirectional relationship between suicidal behavior and attitudes towards seeking help.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study involving 8469 high school students (grades 9-12) across four assessment waves.
- Utilized cross-lagged panel models to analyze bidirectional associations.
- Data collected from students in the wait-list control group of a universal school-based suicide prevention program.
Main Results:
- Negative attitudes towards help-seeking and suicide predicted subsequent suicide attempts in both genders.
- Adolescents who reported suicide attempts subsequently displayed more negative help-seeking attitudes.
- Suicide attempts influenced help-seeking attitudes in girls but not in boys.
Conclusions:
- Interventions fostering positive help-seeking attitudes, like Sources of Strength, are beneficial for both genders.
- Adolescents with a history of suicide attempts are particularly vulnerable to negative help-seeking attitudes.
- Post-attempt psychological distress and interventions may influence help-seeking attitudes.
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