Adolescent Suicide Ideation in Utah: The Role of Religion and Family

Drawing on the interpersonal theory of suicide, religion and family constructs were examined for their longitudinal direct effect on passive suicide ideation as well as their indirect effect on ideation through perceived burdensomeness (operationalized as shame) and thwarted belongingness (operationalized as abandonment by God). The first wave of data was collected in 2016 and the second in 2018. The sample of adolescents (analytic sample of 617 with 87% Latter-day Saints; ages 11-15 at Wave 1) was drawn from Utah, a location high in religiosity as well as adolescent suicidality. Analyses found shame related to suicide ideation but not abandonment by God. Church support and family flexibility were directly related to ideation in the expected direction, and family flexibility was directly related to shame. However, the indirect effect of family flexibility on ideation through shame was nonsignificant. Gender had an indirect effect through shame such that females experienced higher shame and subsequently experienced more ideation. Results suggest reducing feelings of shame at younger ages may be important to interrupting suicidality. Implications for churches and families are discussed.