Family Environment as a Prognosticator of Suicidal Ideation Among Adolescents

A Family is the preeminent factor, in the life of an adolescent, which plays a distinctive role in his/her psychological and physiological development. It encompasses many elements which can affect behavior of an adolescent positively and vice versa. Objective: The study was intended to investigate and analyze the relationship between family environment and suicidal ideation among adolescent students. Method: The study was conducted on 300 adolescent students selected through stratified random sampling. The considered sample was between 14 to 17 years of age group from the schools, affiliated to C.B.S.E. board in Ghaziabad city. The tools of the study, Family Environment Scale by Harpreet Bhatia and N. K. Chadha and Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire by William Reynolds for Suicidal Ideation, were used. Statistical analysis used for the present study were correlation and multiple regression. Results: A significant negative correlation was found between family environment and suicidal ideation among adolescent students in terms of family cohesion, expressiveness, acceptance and caring, independence, active-recreational orientation, organization except Conflict which was positively correlated to suicidal ideation. Control was found to be non-significant in this study. Subsequently, two dimensions of family environment, i.e., independence and conflict, emerged as a significant predictor of Suicidal Ideation among adolescents in the present study.