The impact of family-related psychosocial factors on suicidal ideation among adolescents: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND

This systematic literature review investigates the impact of family-related psychosocial factors on suicidal ideation. Adolescents experiencing family-related adversities are more likely to experience suicidal ideation. Given that adolescents are a high-risk population, understanding the nature of the impact of family-related factors is important. It would help determine and differentiate the family-specific risk and protective factors and aid in designing targeted suicide prevention strategies.

METHOD: The review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Systematic searches of peer-reviewed quantitative studies were conducted in Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Due to the heterogeneity of the findings, the data were analyzed using narrative synthesis. (PROSPERO registration: CRD420250625290).

RESULTS

The review identified 94 studies published between 1993 and March 2025. The findings indicate that adolescents who experienced hostility inside the family, lacked healthy communication with family members, had controlling parents, and dealt with mental health issues of their parents had a high risk of suicidal ideation. Those who were satisfied with their family members, experienced parental emotional support, and had authoritative parents had a low risk of suicidal ideation.

DISCUSSION: The findings of the review provide insight into the diverse domains of family-related psychosocial factors holistically and highlight their dynamic nature. It suggests that some strategies, such as early diagnosis of parental mental health issues, encouraging open communication between parents and adolescents, and implementing work-life balance for parents, could help reduce suicidal ideation. The review was limited to quantitative studies; hence, further exploration of qualitative, longitudinal, and intervention-based studies may provide further understanding of familial influences on suicidal ideation in adolescents.