(PS3-30) Associations Among Social Motivation, Parenting Styles, and Suicidal Ideation in a Sample of Early Adolescent Girls

Abstract Text: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are becoming more prevalent in early adolescents in recent years, and research on risk factors for STBs during this preteen to adolescent transition is lacking. Social motivation (SM), which increases during adolescence, may be a novel risk factor for STBs for preteens. Previous research has found that high levels of both performance-approach and performance-avoidance social goals were associated with increased psychopathology in adolescents, suggesting they may also be important to understand STBs. During the preteen years, the parent-child relationship evolves as peers take a more prominent role in preteens’ lives. However, the parenting relationship is still important for adolescent outcomes. Indeed, an authoritative parenting style has been shown to act as a protective factor against psychopathology and risky social behaviors, whereas an authoritarian parenting style has been found to lead to increased likelihood of negative socioemotional outcomes. Yet, it remains unclear how parenting styles, social goals, and suicidal ideation (SI) associate with each other. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relation between social goals and SI in early adolescent girls, and the potential moderating effect of parenting styles on this relation.

We hypothesized that higher levels of approach and avoidance goals would be associated with elevated SI. We expected this association would be moderated by authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles, such that the link between high approach/avoidance goals and SI would be stronger only in early adolescent girls whose parents endorsed more (versus less) authoritarian parenting practices.

The sample included 218 girls (Mage = 11.82, SD = 1.79) and their caregivers. Social goals and parenting styles were measured by the Social Achievement Goals Scale and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire – Short, respectively. Suicidal ideation was measured using a composite, binary variable (0 = absent, 1 = present) from lifetime history of SI at baseline on the MINI, SIQ-JR, and SITBI. Analyses were preregistered on Open Science Framework (osf.io/2f7x9).

Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to test hypotheses. We found a main effect of avoidance social goals on suicidal ideation (β = 0.33, p < .05) after controlling for age. There was no main effect of approach goals on SI. There were no significant interactions among approach/avoidance goals and authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles. Importantly, age was a significant covariate in all models (p < 0.001).

Results partially supported the first hypothesis. Higher levels of avoidance goals predicted a greater likelihood of SI. Parenting styles did not moderate the link between social goals and SI. It is possible these associations are stronger in late childhood rather than the adolescent transition. Further, social goals may developmentally precede the onset of adolescent sensitization to social stress. Thus, we may have found stronger associations among the youngest participants. In follow-up analyses, we plan to test this association. Overall, results suggest that social motivation may be a novel risk factor for understanding SI among preteen girls.