Abstract
Disclosure of one’s suicidal thoughts is a pivotal but under-investigated mechanism for preventing suicide among young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH). In a sample of 527 YAEH, we adopted a multi-level perspective to assess patterns and correlates of disclosure in their friendship networks. Less than one-third of YAEH disclosed their suicidal thoughts—half of them doing so during a suicidal crisis—and only disclosed to 21% of their friends. Multilevel modeling showed that YAEH who reported a history of unmet mental health needs were more likely to have disclosed to a friend, and friends who were sources of social support were most highly sought out for disclosures. Our findings highlight the need for cultivating safe environments that promote disclosures among YAEH.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1-20 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Archives of Suicide Research |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- Disclosure
- homeless
- social network
- suicide
- young adult
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health