AUTHOR=Liu Xing-Yan , Xu Shu-Hui , Yan Wen-Jing , Zhu Li-Li , Li Cheng-Han 

TITLE=A network and mediation analysis on the associations between family environment and suicidal ideation in adolescents in a psychiatric clinical setting

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1541993

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1541993

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=BackgroundFamily environmental factors are known to contribute to adolescent suicidal ideation (SI), but how these factors interact and relate to SI needs further investigation.AimsTo examine how family factors interact with each other and are associated with adolescent SI in a psychiatric clinical setting, using network analysis with regularization methods.MethodUtilizing a quantitative research design, this study analyzed data from 293 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years seeking care in a psychiatric hospital. Data collection involved standardized interviews and self-report measures to assess SI, anxiety, depression, and various family environmental factors. Network analysis with regularization methods, including LASSO regression, was employed to elucidate the relationships among these variables.ResultsOver 40% of adolescents reported SI, with positive relationship quality(RQ) significantly reducing SI. Network analysis indicated that family economic status did not directly relate to SI but through RQ. Additionally, anxiety was found to mediate the relationship between RQ and SI significantly, with a mediation effect of 53.34%. Parental marital status directly related to SI, whereas parental education level, particularly mothers’, was not directly associated with SI or other mental health outcomes.ConclusionsThis study reveals the complex interplay between family environmental factors and psychiatric symptoms in adolescents, highlighting family relationship quality as a critical risk mechanism. These findings underscore the importance of family-centered interventions and public mental health policies to reduce suicidal ideation in adolescents.