Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people, and rates of suicidal ideation and attempts are higher still. It is known that deficits in social problem-solving and coping are associated with suicide risk. However, there has not been a comprehensive review of these relationships in young people conducted in the last two decades. Furthermore, no review has synthesised how different styles of coping are associated with suicide risk. This systematic review therefore aims to address this dearth by examining the nature of the association between coping/social problem-solving and suicide risk in young people, aged 13-25.
Methods: A full study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023482594). Searches of academic databases Medline, PsycINFO and Web of Science were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. A date restriction was placed on the search, capturing studies from 2003 to 2023. Studies were quality assessed using established criteria.
Results: Of the 2,751 papers identified, 110 full-text articles were eligible for inclusion. Findings demonstrated that the type of coping/problem-solving was important in determining suicide risk. Avoidant coping/problem-solving style, emotion-focused coping and negative problem orientation were consistently associated with both suicidal ideation and attempts. In contrast, active coping (planning), positive problem orientation, coping via seeking social support and religious coping ameliorated suicide risk. There was some indication of gender differences, however more work is needed. Hopelessness was identified as a mediator between coping and suicide risk, consistent with past research.
Limitations: There is considerable heterogeneity in how coping is operationalised across studies. In addition, most of the studies (83%) were cross-sectional, thereby limiting our ability to draw causal inferences.
Conclusions: This review advances our understanding of suicide risk in young people. The findings highlight specific coping styles that could be targeted for treatment and suicide prevention. The theoretical implications are also discussed. Future research should employ prospective study designs to establish temporal associations.