Parenting / Families
A Multi-Family Member Perspective on the Associations among Family Functioning, Parent Validation, and Adolescent Suicidal Behavior
Nicole P. Porter, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Fellow
McLean Hospital
Arlington, Massachusetts
Emilia Brush, B.A.
Post Baccalaureate Clinical Fellow
McLean Hospital
Arlington, Massachusetts
Margarett Burke, B.S.
Post Baccalaureate Clinical Fellow
Massachusetts General Hospital
Brookline, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Wu, B.A.
Community Residence Counselor at McLean Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Medford, Massachusetts
Josephine S. Au, Ph.D.
Staff Psychologist/Instructor
McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Belmont, Massachusetts
Cynthia Kaplan, Ph.D.
Director, Trauma Training and Consultation
McLean Hospital
Newport, Rhode Island
Gillian C. Galen, Psy.D.
Program Director 3East Residentials/Director of Training
McLean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts
Alan E. Fruzzetti, Ph.D.
Director of DBT Adherence & Director of Training in Family Services
McLean Hospital & Harvard Medical School
Belmont, Massachusetts
Three outcomes were tested via multiple regression: PV, PIV, SE. Each model had 3 FF predictors: adolescent report, parent report, discrepancy interaction. For PV, FF explained 46% of the variance [R2=.45, F(2, 169)=72.2, p< .001]; only adolescent report was a significant predictor (𝛽=-.69, p < .00). For PIV, FF explained 38% of the variance [R2=.37, F(2, 169)=51.7, p< .001]; only adolescent report was a significant predictor (𝛽=.60, p < .001). The SE model was not significant; however there was a trend effect for adolescent report of FF (𝛽=.14, p =.09).
Background: Research consistently indicates links between family functioning (FF) and adolescent suicidal behavior in community and clinical samples (Wagner et al., 2003). Moreover, prior research suggests discrepancies in experience of FF may be associated with suicide attempts in adult samples (Keitner et al., 1987). This study seeks to explore the degree of correspondence between family members’ reports of FF and their teens’ reports on parent validation (PV) and invalidation (PIV) and suicide expectancy (SE).
Method: Participants were adolescents (N=174) and their parents at admission to a DBT residential treatment program. The Family Assessment Device (Epstein et al., 1983) assessed FF. The Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire (Linehan et al., 1981) assessed SE. The Validation and Invalidation Response Scale (Fruzzetti, unpublished) assessed PV and PIV.
Results: Pearson’s r and ICCs comparing mother and father reports of FF to adolescent reports indicated low correspondence (r=.15 and r=.17; ICC=-.01 and ICC=.02 respectively); mother to father comparison suggested moderate correspondence (r=.41; ICC=.41). One-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey HSD indicated lower adolescent scores on FF compared to parents, with no difference between parents [F(2, 241)=17.840; p< .001]. Adolescent reports on PV and PIV were moderately negatively correlated (r=-.64).
Conclusions: In this sample, adolescents and their parents showed divergent reports on FF, suggesting differing experiences. Adolescents reported poorer FF, which was associated with lower PV and higher PIV. Additional research is needed to understand associations with SE.
