Student's and mothers' perceptions of suicide risk and helpfulness of suicide intervention strategies

Includes bibliographical references (pages [78]-83)Many help-givers for suicidal adolescents are peers and parents. This study examined adolescent and mother perceptions of the suicide risk associated with different warning signs, their perceptions of the helpfulness of interventions, students' intent to use interventions and mothers' beliefs about their children's intent to use interventions. Mothers viewed behavioral and high-risk warning signs as indicating higher suicide risk than emotional and life event warning signs, whereas students viewed high-risk suicide warning signs as indicating higher suicide risk than behavioral, emotional, and life event warning signs. Students viewed professional interventions as less helpful than mothers. Students rated talking to the suicidal individual as the intervention they intend to use the most; mothers also rated talking with the suicidal individual as the intervention their children would most often use. Implications of these findings include continuing to research the ability of peers and parents to provide adequate help in risk situations.M.A. (Master of Arts