Hopelessness, Parent-Adolescent Communication, and Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Based on the responses of 5,557 Chinese secondary students in Hong Kong, the relationships among perceived hopelessness, family functioning, & suicide ideation were examined. Results showed suicide ideation was positively related to hopelessness but negatively related to parent-adolescent communication. Compared with father-adolescent communication, mother-adolescent communication generally had a stronger association with adolescent suicide ideation. It was further found that the linkage between hopelessness & adolescent suicide ideation was stronger under a low parent-adolescent communication condition. The theoretical & practical implications of the findings are discussed. (39 refs.) JA