Suicide risk in adolescents with deviant behavior and different hardiness levels

BACKGROUND: The paper discusses the role of hardiness in adolescents with deviant behavior as a personal resource in coping with the challenges of the modern world and its contribution to the prevention of suicide risk in the situation of the increasing prevalence of suicide in adolescence.

AIM: The aim is to study the indicators of suicide risk in adolescents with deviant behavior and different hardiness levels.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 63 adolescents aged 14–17 years. The study was carried out using the Hardiness Survey by E.N. Osin and E.I. Rasskazova; A Suicide Risk Questionnaire modified by T.N. Razuvaeva.

RESULTS: Low and medium hardiness levels were distributed almost equally, with the exception of 8% of adolescents with high hardiness level. The component of hardiness “Commitment” has a negative association with the indicator of suicidal risk “Affectivity” (p < 0,05) at low hardiness level and with “Failure” (p < 0,01) at medium hardiness level. The component of hardiness “Control” is also correlated with the indicator of suicidal risk “Maximalism” (p < 0,05) at low hardiness level. There was found no associations between the component of hardiness “Challenge” and the indicators of suicide risk. In adolescents with deviant behavior the suicide risk greatly determined by external reasons at low hardiness level and by internal reasons at medium hardiness level.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings allow to identify the following targets of psychological correction to reduce suicidal risk in adolescents with deviant behavior: increasing commitment in life events with their control and the formation of self-confidence at low hardiness level, formation of a ban of any form of suicidal behavior at medium hardiness level, increasing activity regardless of hardiness level.