Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Nicole Hamilton

Abstract

Adolescent suicidal ideation is a substantial health concern in the United States, from both mental and physical perspectives. Parent-child connectedness (PCC) ostensibly plays a considerable role in reducing the problem. Along with parents of youth who are struggling with suicide, mental health care providers and school administrators would appreciate understanding more effective strategies for eliminating adolescent suicidal ideation. This cross-sectional, quantitative study sought a statistically significant relationship between PCC measured as parental perception, parenting style, and parental denial (independent variables) and the dependent variable of adolescent suicidal ideation. Bandura’s social cognitive theory, Baumrind’s parenting style theory, and Mowder’s parent development theory were used to address the research question. Participants included parents in the Midwest whose adolescents had either experienced suicidal thoughts or had attempted suicide. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. According to ANOVA, F(5, 74) = 1.078, p > 0.05, the overall test was not statistically significant. Specifically, results for parental perception (B = .036 < p 0.05), were statistically significant. Parenting style permissive (B = .844 > p 0.05); parenting style authoritative (B = .776 > p 0.05); parenting style authoritarian (B = .568 > p 0.05); and parental denial (B = .277 > p 0.05) were not statistically significant. Based on these results, social change could only occur if more emphasis on promoting PCC is pursued. These findings imply that while parenting style and parental denial marginally influence adolescent suicidal ideation, the meaningful impact is insufficient to be considered statistically significant.

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