The Social Supports of Suicide Attempters: The Different Role of Family and Friends

Taking for granted that suicide attempters have several social support deficits, an effort is made to determine if these fit a pattern that can distinguish this group from the general population. Structured interview data obtained from a sample of 101 suicide attempters aged 16+ admitted to the emer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of community psychology 1988-12, Vol.16 (6), p.839-861
Main Authors: Veiel, H O F, Brill, G, Hafner, H, Welz, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Federal Republic of Germany
Peer Influence
Self Destructive Behavior
Social Support
Suicide
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Summary:Taking for granted that suicide attempters have several social support deficits, an effort is made to determine if these fit a pattern that can distinguish this group from the general population. Structured interview data obtained from a sample of 101 suicide attempters aged 16+ admitted to the emergency units of a general hospital & a psychiatric clinic in Mannheim, Federal Republic of Germany, & a from matched control group of 82 Rs from the city of Mannheim are compared within a multidimensional model of social support. Analysis indicates no differences between the groups in terms of frequency of social interactions, but significant variation in the size of their social networks, the number of friends with whom they experienced emotionally satisfying daily contacts, & the number of relatives who provided both psychological & instrumental crisis support. Implications for the measurement & conceptualization of social support, as well as for preventive interventions in suicide cases, are discussed. 5 Tables, 1 Appendix, 48 References. K. Hyatt
ISSN:0091-0562