Abstract

 

Objective: Parental acceptance–rejection is linked to adolescent mental health, yet its distinct maternal versus paternal associations with suicidality in disadvantaged youth remain underexplored. This exploratory study aimed to delineate these specific relationships, examining perceived parental rejection as a predictor for suicidal ideation (SI) intensity, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and psychopathology in a high-risk cohort.

Materials and Methods: Forty-six adolescents (82.6% girls; M age = 15.7±1.1 ) hospitalized in an ICU following a serious suicide attempt completed the Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire and Youth Self-Report. A clinician assessed suicidality using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify key predictors.

Results: A clear dissociation emerged between maternal and paternal roles. Greater perceived maternal rejection—particularly indifference and neglect—was significantly associated with higher SI intensity (B = 0.128, p < 0.001), and a perceived lack of maternal warmth correlated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.454, p = 0.002). In contrast, paternal acceptance was unrelated to SI or internalizing problems; however, paternal hostility was significantly associated with externalizing behaviors (r = 0.381, p = 0.013). Additionally, conduct problems were the only significant predictor of lifetime NSSI (OR = 1.125, p = 0.040), and SI intensity predicted a history of multiple suicide attempts (OR = 1.559, p = 0.016).

Conclusion: In this high-risk cohort, maternal rejection appeared to be more closely linked to suicidal ideation and internalizing distress, whereas paternal hostility showed a stronger association with externalizing behaviors. These exploratory findings point to the potential value of family-centered prevention approaches that enhance maternal responsiveness and address behavioral dysregulation to help mitigate suicide risk.

Keywords: Adolescent, parent-child relations, suicidal ideation, socioeconomic disparities in health , self-injurious behavior

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Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

1.
Ilcioglu Ekici G, Demirtas MS. Maternal versus paternal rejection in adolescent suicidality: A study in a socioeconomically disadvantaged cohort. Turk J Pediatr Dis. 2026;Early View:1-7. https://doi.org/10.12956/TJPD.2025.1283