NCJ Number
212802
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 34 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 547-557
Date Published
December 2005
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study measured illness, risk for suicide, and substance use as outcomes in a path analysis of 1,028 Swiss adolescents who were participating in the supra-f program, a Swiss national project begun in 1999 to determine what works in preventing the escalation of problem behaviors for youth at risk for dropping out of school and engaging in delinquent behavior and substance abuse.
Abstract
Study findings showed that depression and anxiety ("negative mood") were linked to two paths. One path led from negative mood to the risk for suicide and from there to substance use. The second path led from negative mood to illness. Traditional protective factors, i.e., positive relationships and high self-esteem, prevented the negative mood-suicide-substance path, but did not protect individuals from the negative mood-illness path. Data were collected with a self-report questionnaire and an interview upon entry into the supra-f program. The data pertained to psychological state (depression, anxiety, self-image, relationship with parents, and suicidal thinking/attempts); drug use; physical complaints; and contacts with the health system. Data were also obtained on age, gender, family, and school performance. A structural equation model was the main method of analysis. The findings suggest that prevention efforts should target negative mood as the underlying factor that produces the risk for suicide, substance use, and illness. Helping youth develop a sense of self-worth in the context of positive family relationships may be the most productive approach for preventing negative mood; however, it is unclear why high self-esteem is not more influential in protecting against negative mood related to illness. 4 tables, 2 figures, and 64 references