The mediating role of adolescents’ loneliness and social withdrawal in the association between maternal depressive symptoms and suicidality in adolescence: A 20-year population-based study

Lamprini Psychogiou,Massimiliano Orri,Richard E Tremblay,Michel Boivin,Sylvana M Côté,Marilyn N Ahun

doi:10.1017/s0954579420001753

Abstract

We examined whether adolescents' loneliness and social withdrawal mediated the association between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent suicidality. Secondary analyses on the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development data were conducted (n = 1,623). Each mother completed the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (at child ages 5 months, 1.5, 3.5, 5, and 7 years). Adolescent's social withdrawal (adolescent, father, and teacher reported at 10, 12, and 13 years) and loneliness (adolescent reported at 10, 12, and 13 years), were assessed using items from the Social Behavior Questionnaire and the Loneliness and Social Satisfaction Questionnaire, respectively. Adolescents completed self-reports to assess suicidal thoughts and attempts at 13, 15, 17, and 20 years. Children of mothers with higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms had an increased risk for suicidality (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03-1.28). Loneliness explained 16% of the total effect of maternal depressive symptoms on adolescent suicidality (indirect effect OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.04). There was no indirect effect of maternal depressive symptoms on adolescent suicidal outcomes via social withdrawal (indirect effect OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99-1.02). Interventions that target loneliness may be beneficial for decreasing the risk for suicidality among adolescents of mothers with depressive symptoms.

Highlights

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and is associated with substantial social and economic costs (World Health Organization, 2015)
We tested for differences in direct and indirect associations between boys and girls by comparing the fit of two models: the first, and most parsimonious, having paths constrained to be equal for boys and girls and the second having paths freely estimated for each sex (Kline, 2015)
We found that loneliness between 10 and 13 years mediated the association between maternal depressive symptoms (5 months to 7 years) and adolescent suicidality (13–20 years) independent of important child, mother, and family characteristics

Summary

Introduction

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and is associated with substantial social and economic costs (World Health Organization, 2015). The mediating role of adolescents’ loneliness and social withdrawal in the association between maternal depressive symptoms and suicidality in adolescence: A 20year population-based study. To the best of our knowledge, no longitudinal studies have examined if adolescents’ social withdrawal and loneliness are pathways through which exposure to maternal depressive symptoms is associated with adolescent suicidality.

Results

Conclusion