A Nationwide Look at Protective Factors of Suicide Ideation Among Youth in the Child Welfare System

Background/Purpose:

Suicide is a major public health concern. For youth aging from 10 – 14, suicide is the second highest cause of death. Youth in the child welfare system are at a heightened risk of suicidal ideation, yet limited research on suicide prevention has been conducted with this population. Further, the few existing studies have focused on identifying risk factors, and scarce research has examined protective factors. Recognizing the protective factors associated with suicide among youth involved with the child welfare system aligns well with social work values and can inform strengths-based suicide prevention strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to examine various protective factors (resilience, positive peer relationships, future expectations, relationships with a caregiver, school engagement, prosocial skills) for suicidal ideation among youth involved with the child welfare system.

Methods:

Using the first wave of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), this study included 1,019 adolescents (aged 11 and older) in the child welfare system. To measure suicidal ideation, one specific item in the Children’s Depressive Inventory was used, which asked if the young person thought about killing themselves in the past two weeks. Resilience was measured using the Resiliency Scale. Relationship with peers was measured using the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire for Young Children. Adolescent future expectation was measured using the Expectations About Employment, Education, and Life Span Section from Adolescent Health Survey. School engagement was assessed using the Drug Free Schools (DFSCA) Outcome Study Questions. Caregiver-youth relationships were measured using the Rochester Assessment Package for Schools, and youth prosocial skills were assessed using the Social Skills Rating System. Youth gender and race were included as control variables. Binary logistic regression was conducted using SPSS.

Results:

Results of the binary logistic regression suggest that children’s relationship with their caregiver and their peers to be significant protective factors of suicide ideation for children aged 11-16 involved with the child welfare system. For each unit increase in a child’s positive relationship with their peers was associated with a 43.4% decrease in the odds of the child experiencing suicide ideation (OR = .57, p = <.001). Additionally, each unit increase in a child’s relationship with their caregiver suggests a 59.1% decrease in the odds of a child reporting suicide ideation (OR = .41, p = <.001).

Conclusions and Implications:

Given that most existing literature and intervention on youth suicide are geared towards the general population, our findings expand on the youth suicide research by identifying a specific population of youth who are at an increased risk for suicide. Our findings suggest that positive relationships with caregivers and peers serve as key protective factors for suicidal ideation among youth involved with the child welfare system. Thus, bolstering positive caregiver and peer networks and supporting youth to build strong and healthy relationships with their caregivers and peers may be critical intervention points to prevent suicide among youths involved with the child welfare system.