| Description |
Adolescent suicide is the second leading cause of death in people ages 15-19, and the rates of adolescent suicide are rising. Research has focused on risk and protective factors for adolescent suicide, but the effects of friendship have received less attention. Existing research suggests that friendship is especially important to adolescent girls, and that caring friends can be a protective factor against the risk of suicide. This study aimed to examine whether a close, high quality friendship could predict the number of suicide attempts executed by adolescent girls. I examined associations between friendship quality and number of suicide attempts (n = 35). I hypothesized that a close, high quality friendship would predict fewer suicide attempts in adolescent girls. Results of this study failed to show a significant association between friendship quality and number of suicide attempts. Although not significant, this study was an important step in examining the effect of friendship on suicidal behavior, and research on this topic should continue to explore this relationship. |
