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Cited by 79Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesMental Health Treatment and AccessChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

When Self-Reliance Is Not Safe: Associations between Reduced Help-Seeking and Subsequent Mental Health Symptoms in Suicidal Adolescents

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Labouliere, Christa, Kleinman, Marjorie, Gould, Madelyn·2015·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI 10.3390/ijerph120403741PMC PMC4410213
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Abstract

The majority of suicidal adolescents have no contact with mental health services, and reduced help-seeking in this population further lessens the likelihood of accessing treatment. A commonly-reported reason for not seeking help is youths’ perception that they should solve problems on their own. In this study, we explore associations between extreme self-reliance behavior (i.e., solving problems on your own all of the time), help-seeking behavior, and mental health symptoms in a community sample of adolescents. Approximately 2150 adolescents, across six schools, participated in a school-based suicide prevention screening program, and a subset of at-risk youth completed a follow-up interview two years later. Extreme self-reliance was associated with reduced help-seeking, clinically-significant depressive symptoms, and serious suicidal ideation at the baseline screening. Furthermore, in a subset of youth identified as at-risk at the baseline screening, extreme self-reliance predicted level of suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms two years later even after controlling for baseline symptoms. Given these findings, attitudes that reinforce extreme self-reliance behavior may be an important target for youth suicide prevention programs. Reducing extreme self-reliance in youth with suicidality may increase their likelihood of appropriate help-seeking and concomitant reductions in symptoms.

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Authors
Labouliere, C., Kleinman, M., & Gould, M.
Affiliations
Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Gould, Madelyn
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2015-04-01
Volume
12
Issue
4
Pages
3741-3755
ISSN
1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ijerph120403741
PMC
PMC4410213
OpenAlex
W1997261002
Cited by
79
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 2
FWCI
7.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Columbia Academic Commons (Columbia University)
Funders
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH64632, T32 MH16434-34)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
self-reliance, help-seeking, suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, adolescents, suicide prevention, access to mental health care, at-risk youth, school-based screening, youth attitudes
MeSH terms
Help-Seeking Behavior, Adolescent, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health Services, New York, Problem Solving, Risk Factors, Suicidal Ideation

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