Parenting styles and suicidal ideation of adolescents: The moderating role of social skills

Abstract

Background/objective: The parenting styles and social skills are important factors to emotional development of young people and can associate, positive or negative way, to suicidal thoughts of adolescents. The current study analyzed the contribution of parenting styles of mother and father and social skills on suicidal ideation of adolescents. Further, it tested the moderating role of social skills on the previous association. Method: The sample comprised 604 adolescents (54.6% were girls) with ages ranging from 15 to 18. Participants responded to a measure of parenting styles of mother and father, social skills, and suicidal ideation. Results: The results showed that the mother’s physical coercion was positively linked with suicidal ideation, while assertiveness was negatively associated with adolescents’ suicidal thoughts. Results also indicated that empathy moderated the association between authoritative and authoritarian styles of both parents and suicidal ideation. Moreover, findings revealed that assertiveness moderated the association among mother's authoritative style and suicidal ideation. Results also exhibited that the permissive style of both parents was linked suicidal ideation, regardless of the social skills of adolescents. Conclusions: Findings are discussed according to Baumrind’s parenting styles approach and taking into consideration the importance of parents and social skills in understanding the processes inherent to suicidal ideation of adolescents