A longitudinal investigation of depression, hopelessness, social support, and major and minor life events and their relation to suicidal ideation in adolescents

The longitudinal relationship of psychological and social-environmental fac tors with adolescent suicidal ideation over a 1-year-period was examined in a sample of 374 high school students. Students were assessed twice over a 1-year period with measures of depression, hopelessness, major negative lif e events, daily hassles, social support, and suicidal ideation. At the init ial assessment, daily hassles and negative life events for males and social support and depression for females were significant factors related to sui cidal ideation levels 1 year later. Changes in depression and hopelessness were significantly related to changes in suicidal ideation over the 1 year interval for males and females. Differences found between males and females in the relationship of psychological and social-environmental variables wi th suicidal ideation supports the need to examine gender specific relations hips when conducting research on suicidal behavior in adolescents.