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Problem solving, stress, and coping in adolescent suicide attempts
K G Wilson1, J Stelzer, J N Bergman
1Department of Psychology, Rehabilitation Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Adolescents who attempt suicide experience more life stress and inaccurately appraise their control over stressful events. They generate adaptive coping strategies but use them less, supporting a transactional model of suicidal behavior.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Adolescent suicide is a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the cognitive and behavioral factors contributing to suicidal behavior is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare problem-solving, stress appraisal, and coping mechanisms in adolescents who attempted suicide versus controls.
- To investigate the role of cognitive factors in adolescent suicidal behavior.
Main Methods:
- Compared 20 adolescents with suicide attempts to 20 non-psychiatric controls.
- Assessed problem-solving skills, life stress, and coping strategies.
Main Results:
- Suicidal group reported higher life stress and inaccurate appraisal of event controllability.
- No deficits in generating solutions were found, but fewer adaptive coping strategies were used.
- Maladaptive behaviors were more frequently identified as coping mechanisms by the suicidal group.
Conclusions:
- Inaccuracies in stress appraisal, not solution generation, combined with high stress, reduce adaptive coping in adolescents.
- Findings support a transactional model of adolescent suicidal behavior.