Researchers have further posited that social support may hav

Researchers have further posited that social support may have either (or both) a main or buffering effect on mental health (Cohen & Wills, 1985). The buffering effect suggests that social support protects (i.e., buffers) people from the adverse effects of stress by influencing appraisal and coping (Lakey & Orehek, 2011). The main effects suggests that social support promotes mental health by providing persons with regular positive experiences and a set of stable, socially rewarded roles. Cohen and Wills (1985 p. 311) argue that this provides positive affect, a sense of predictability and AZD6244 and self-worth. Evidence from meta-analytic studies suggests that the main effects of social support on mental health is stronger than buffering effects (Lakey & Cronin, 2008; Lakey & Orehek, 2011).
Methods
Suicides Of the 219 potential suicides in the coronial data extracted by the authors, 120 cases were contacted to participate in the study. The reasons for exclusion (n=99 cases) was based on advice from social workers concerning specific clinical circumstances of next-of-kin and their likely amenability to participate, an inability to locate respondents because of change in address, and all cases of murder-suicide. The participation rate from the 120 cases contacted was 70%. Consenting next-of-kin of suicide cases (n=84) participated in face-to-face interviews to collect information on socio-demographic factors, life events and other antecedent circumstances of the suicide case.
Suicide attempts
Suicide controls
Suicide attempter controls
Discussion The results of this study are broadly consistent with previous research on social connections and suicide and attempted suicide (Compton et al., 2005; Hall-Lande et al., 2007). For example, in a sample of young adults attending Miami-Dade public school system, Joiner et al. (2009) documented the contribution of low family social support and the feeling “that one does not matter” to suicidal ideation. The authors interpreted these findings in terms of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (Joiner et al., 2009), which argues that two interpersonal constructs, perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness “instill the desire for death” as a necessary condition for suicidal behaviour. Although suicide ideation is not attempted suicide or suicide itself, it is likely to be relatively prevalent in young people; thus, this study lends support to the idea that a greater number of social connections are protective factors for suicide. In addition to connections with immediate family and friends, the present study has shown significant relationships between social connections at the neighbourhood and societal level and suicidal behaviour. Variables such as club membership and attendance, and interest in the news have also been used in studies on “social capital”, defined in terms of high levels of interpersonal trust, norms of mutual aid and reciprocity in a community (Coleman, 1990; Lochner, Kawachi, Brennan, & Buka, 2003; Putnam, 1993). Social capital has been argued to be the “glue” that holds communities together (Putnam, 2000), and has been found to be associated with a wide range of health outcomes in a recent systematic review (Uphoff, Pickett, Cabieses, Small, & Wright, 2013), including being associated with lower rates of suicide (Helliwell, 2007; Kunst et al., 2013; Okamoto et al., 2013). However, the present study did not aim to assess social capital or measure this underlying construct. We focused instead on quantifying the number of social connections cases and controls had in the lives of a sample of young people. Despite this, several variables in this study do overlap with variables considered to be important components of social capital. For example, club membership and attendances and helping neighbours could be considered an aspect of bonding social capital, emanating from relationships with those with similar sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics (Kim, Subramanian, & Kawachi, 2006).