The Spreading of Suicidal Behavior: the Contextual Effect of Community Household Poverty on Adolescent Suicidal Behavior and the Mediating Role of Suicide Suggestion

Using nested survey data on 5331 Icelandic adolescents in 83 school communities, this study examined the contextual effect of community household poverty on adolescent suicidal behaviour. Findings show the concentration of household poverty in the school-community had a significant, contextual effect on adolescent suicidal behavour. Suicide suggestion mediates a substantial part of the contextual effect of community household poverty on suicide attempt, while mediation is modest in the case of suicide ideation. Community household poverty increased the risk of adolescent suicidal behaviour in part because where household poverty was common, there was a higher risk of adolescents associating with others who were suicidal. (64 refs.) JA