Problem solving moderates the effects of life event stress and chronic stress on suicidal behaviors in adolescence
Abstract
The present study examined the unique and interactive effects of stress and problem‐solving skills on suicidal behaviors among 102 inpatient adolescents. As expected, life event stress and chronic stress each significantly predicted suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Problem solving significantly predicted suicidal ideation, but not suicide attempt. Problem solving moderated the associations between life event stress and suicidal behaviors, as well as between chronic stress and suicidal ideation, but not chronic stress and suicide attempt. At high levels of stress, adolescents with poor problem‐solving skills experienced elevated suicidal ideation and were at greater risk of making a nonfatal suicide attempt. The interactive effects decreased to non‐significance after controlling for depressive symptoms and hopelessness. Clinical implications are discussed.© 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 65:1–10, 2009.
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The present study did not find evidence that any category of acute life event exposure differentiated suicide ideators from youth with no lifetime STBs.
“In contrast, we did not find evidence that any category of acute life event exposure differentiated suicide ideators from youth with no lifetime STBs, which is consistent with several studies using clinical samples of adolescents (Esposito and Clum 2003; Grover et al. 2009; McKeown et al. 1998).”
From Life stress and suicide in adolescents (2019) · cites this paper as Grover et al. 2009
The current findings match a consistent pattern seen in prior studies of chronic stress and adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
“These results replicate a remarkably consistent pattern of findings across studies that have explicitly examined chronic stress in the context of adolescent STBs (Grover et al. 2009; Kelly etal. 2001; Miller et al. 2017; Pettit et al. 2011).”
From Life stress and suicide in adolescents (2019) · cites this paper as Grover et al. 2009
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- Authors
- Grover, K. E., Green, K. L., Pettit, J. W., Monteith, L. L., Garza, M. J., & Venta, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Houston (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pettit, Jeremy W.
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-10-13
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1281-1290
- ISSN
- 0021-9762 (ISSN-L)
- 1097-4679
- OpenAlex
- W2020967997
- Cited by
- 135
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 8.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Problem Solving Skills Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- problem solving, life events, chronic stress, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, adolescents, moderation, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, adolescent inpatients
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Motivation, Personality Inventory, Problem Solving, Risk Factors, Suicide, Attempted
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