Browsing by Author "Lindsey, Michael A."

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    Adolescent social networks matter for suicidal trajectories: disparities across race/ethnicity, sex, sexual identity, and socioeconomic status
    (Cambridge, 2021-03-03) Xiao, Yunyu; Lindsey, Michael A.; School of Social Work
    Background Examining social networks, characterized by interpersonal interactions across family, peer, school, and neighborhoods, offer alternative explanations to suicidal behaviors and shape effective suicide prevention. This study examines adolescent social networks predicting suicide ideation and attempt trajectories transitioning to adulthood, while revealing differences across racial/ethnic, sex, sexual identity, and socioeconomic status. Methods Participants included 9421 high school students (Mage = 15.30 years; 54.58% females, baseline) from Waves I–IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, 1994–2008. Latent class growth analyses were conducted to identify suicide ideation and attempt trajectories. Multivariate multinomial logistic regressions examined the relationships between social network characteristics during adolescence and suicidal trajectories. Interaction terms between social networks and sociodemographic characteristics were included to test moderation effects. Results Three suicidal ideation trajectories (low-stable, high-decreasing, moderate-decreasing-increasing) and two suicide attempt trajectories (low-stable, moderate-decreasing) were identified. Greater family cohesion significantly reduced the probability of belonging to high-decreasing (Trajectory 2) and moderate-decreasing-increasing (Trajectory 3) suicidal ideation trajectories, and moderate-decreasing (Trajectory 2) suicide attempt trajectory. Race/ethnicity, sex, and sexual identity significantly moderated the associations between social networks (household size, peer network density, family cohesion, peer support, neighborhood support) and suicidal trajectories. Conclusions Social networks during adolescence influenced the odds of belonging to distinct suicidal trajectories. Family cohesion protected youth from being in high-risk developmental courses of suicidal behaviors. Social networks, especially quality of interactions, may improve detecting adolescents and young adults at-risk for suicide behaviors. Network-based interventions are key to prevent suicidal behaviors over time and suicide intervention programming.
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    Racial/Ethnic, Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Suicidal Trajectories and Mental Health Treatment Among Adolescents Transitioning to Young Adulthood in the USA: A Population‑Based Cohort Study
    (Springer, 2021) Xiao, Yunyu; Lindsey, Michael A.; School of Social Work
    Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10–34 years old. Limited research has documented extant heterogeneities in suicide across the life course and among diverse sociodemographic groups. There is also limited research on the influences of mental health utilization on suicidal trajectories across the life course. This study aims to: (1) identify racial/ethnic, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectional differences in suicidal trajectories among adolescents transitioning to adulthood; and (2) examine influences of mental health service utilization on disparities in suicidal trajectories. The study included 9421 respondents (Mage = 14.99 [SD = 1.61]) from Waves I–IV National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994–2008). Latent class growth analyses were used to identify trajectories of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the influences of mental health treatment and sociodemographic characteristics on suicidal trajectories. Three suicidal ideation (low-stable, high-decreasing, moderate-decreasing-increasing) and two suicide attempt (low-stable, moderate-decreasing) trajectories were identified. Compared with the low-stable trajectories, the risks of being in high-decreasing suicidal ideation trajectories were higher among females (AOR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.01–2.13) and sexual minorities (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.21–2.74). Sexual minorities (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.69–4.08) and low-SES adolescents (AOR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.08–2.98) were more likely to be in the moderate-decreasing suicide attempt group. Mental health service utilization predicted engagement in high-risk suicidal trajectories. Sociodemographic disparities in suicidal trajectories initiate early and persist over time. Individuals in high-risk trajectories received mental health treatment during adolescence. Suicide prevention should target vulnerable subpopulations and mental health service utilization in the early stage.