Abstract
Utilizing four waves of longitudinal data (N = 3,328 at Wave 1), the present study examined the influence of family attributes (family intactness and economic disadvantage), family functioning, and positive youth development on self-harm and suicidal behavior of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. While 17.1–24.7 % of students had deliberately harmed themselves at least once, there were decreasing trends of deliberate self-harm behavior and suicidal signs over 4 years. For sociodemographic correlates, family intactness but not economic disadvantage was related to initial deliberate self-harm and suicidal behavior. Besides, suicidal behaviors in adolescents from non-intact families decreased faster than those from intact families. At Wave 4, family functioning and positive youth development negatively predicted deliberate self-harm behavior and suicidal behavior. While Wave 1 positive youth development predicted Wave 4 deliberate self-harm without controlling the initial level of deliberated self-harm, Wave 1 family functioning predicted Wave 4 suicidal signs even after controlling the initial level of suicidal signs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Student well-being in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong : theory, intervention and research |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Pages | 275-292 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789812875815, 9789812875822, 9812875816, 9812875824 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords
- Positive youth development
- Deliberate self-harm
- Suicidal behavior
- Family functioning
- Longitudinal study
