Youth Engagement and Suicide Risk: Testing a Mediated Model in a Canadian Community Sample

Evidence is reported from a mediation model linking greater youth activity engagement with lower suicide risk through 5 hypothesized intra- & inter-personal mediating factors. Self-report survey data were gathered from a sample of 5,015 adolescents participating in a mental health promotion program in 2 urban centres in southern Ontario. Youth engagement, suicide risk predictive factors, & suicide risk were assessed. Consistent with the hypothesized mediation model, enjoyment & stress in youth’s most important activity & various activity types were associated with the various hypothesized suicide risk predictive factors, which in turn were related to suicide risk. (89 refs.)