AUTHOR=Falgares Giorgio , Marchetti Daniela , De Santis Sandro , Carrozzino Danilo , Kopala-Sibley Daniel C. , Fulcheri Mario , Verrocchio Maria Cristina TITLE=Attachment Styles and Suicide-Related Behaviors in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Self-Criticism and Dependency JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry VOLUME=8 YEAR=2017 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00036 DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00036 ISSN=1664-0640 ABSTRACT=

Insecure attachment and the personality dimensions of self-criticism and dependency have been proposed as risk factors for suicide in adolescents. The present study examines whether self-criticism and dependency mediate the relationship between insecure attachment styles and suicidality. A sample of 340 high-school students (73.2% females), ranging in age from 13 to 20 years (M = 16.47, SD = 1.52), completed the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescents, the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescents, the Attachment Style Questionnaire, and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. The results partially support the expected mediation effects. Self-criticism, but not dependency, mediates the link between insecure attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and suicide-related behaviors. Implications for suicide risk assessment and management are discussed.