Washington — Experiencing social stress makes it more difficult to effectively resolve interpersonal problems, and teenage girls who experience more interpersonal stress in their lives are at greater risk for suicidal behavior. That’s high, suggests a study published by the American Psychological Association.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers, and the rate of suicidal behavior is particularly high among girls. Previous research has found that interpersonal stressors, such as conflicts with co-workers, friends, and family, are associated with suicidal behavior. Some theories of suicidal behavior suggest that poor social problem-solving skills may contribute to this association. This is likely because teens with poor social problem-solving skills are more likely to consider suicide an effective solution to their distress when they feel exhausted from other things. It is considered. option.
The current study aimed to test these associations by considering both experimentally simulated and real-world measurements of social stress. This study Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Sciences.
“The results of this study provide empirical support for cognitive and behavioral theories of suicide that suggest that a lack of ability to effectively manage and resolve interpersonal problems may be associated with suicidal behavior. “Yes,” said study lead author Olivia Pollack, M.A., of the University of North Carolina. chapel hill. “This is clinically noteworthy because problem solving is a prominent feature in some treatments for suicidal and self-harm behaviors.”
Participants were 185 girls aged 12 to 17 who had experienced mental health problems in the past two years. At the beginning of the study, participants completed a questionnaire or interview regarding mental health symptoms and suicidal behavior. Participants also completed tasks assessing social problem-solving skills, including responding to interpersonal conflicts and challenging scenarios with other people, such as co-workers, friends, family, and romantic partners. The teens were then asked to perform tasks that previous research has shown to induce social stress. They had to prepare and deliver three-minute speeches in front of a likely audience of their peers watching via video link. Immediately after the stressful task, they again completed a social problem-solving task to see whether the experience of social stress led to decreased problem-solving ability.
The researchers also followed the girls for nine months, checking in with them every three months and asking them about stressors they were experiencing in the interpersonal sphere, such as peers, friends, and family, as well as suicidal behavior.
Overall, the researchers found that female students who showed greater declines in problem-solving skills in the laboratory and who experienced higher levels of interpersonal stress during the nine-month follow-up period They found that they were more likely to engage in suicidal behavior. Follow-up period of 1 month.
“Importantly, poor problem-solving skills under distress may increase the risk of future suicidal behavior only when combined with greater accumulation of interpersonal stress in real life.” said Pollack. “Risk for suicidal behavior was higher among youth who experienced high levels of interpersonal stress, with a greater decline in efficacy at 9-month follow-up. This may be due to the association between interpersonal life stress and suicidal behavior. This is consistent with strong evidence of an association.”
article: “Social Problem Solving and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescent Girls: A Prospective Examination of Proximal and Distal Social Stress-Related Risk Factors,” by Olivia Pollack, M.A., and Mitchell J. Prinstein, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Shayna M. Cheek, Duke University; Dr. Karen D. Rudolph, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Paul D. Hastings, University of California, Davis. Dr. Matthew K. Nock of Harvard University. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Sciencespublished online on May 25, 2023.
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