PARENTING STYLES AND PARENTAL BONDING STYLES AS RISK FACTORS FOR ADOLESCENT SUICIDALITY

Abstract

This review aims to synthesize the existing literature on parenting practices and their risk factors for adolescent suicide as well as make the connection from these risk factors to parenting styles (neglectful, authoritarian, permissive, authoritative) and parental bonding styles (neglectful, affectionless control, affectionate constraint, optimal). Although leaders in public health and suicidality do not currently recognize parenting practices and styles as risk and protective factors for adolescent suicides, prior research provides evidence for the relationship between increased risk for adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors and parenting factors such as overprotection, control, abundant parent-child conflicts, neglect or rejection, and not taking a suicide attempt seriously. Moreover, past research has also found that deficient parenting styles and parental bonding styles are strongly associated with suicidality in children and adolescents both directly and indirectly due to their relation to other risk factors. This review aims to reignite the conversation about the relationship between parenting practices and adolescent suicidality and bring light to this important subject.