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An Empirical Taxonomy of Social‐Psychological Risk Indicators in Youth Suicide
Author(s) -
Hyde Toni,
Kirkland John,
Bimler David,
Pechtel Pia
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.2005.35.4.436
Subject(s) - psychology , taxonomy (biology) , set (abstract data type) , multidimensional scaling , social psychology , empirical research , computer science , statistics , mathematics , botany , biology , programming language
The current study integrates descriptive (though primarily social‐psychological) statements about youth suicide into a coherent, empirically supported taxonomy. Drawing from relevant literature, a set of 107 items characterizing these contributions about youth suicide was created. Seventy‐two participants sorted these statements according to their “face‐value” by following two separate procedures. Analyses of these two data sets using multi‐dimensional scaling resulted in a common “map” depicting inter‐item (dis)similarities. Non‐arbitrary rotation of this map revealed three bipolar and orthogonal dimensions labelled as under‐ and overengagement, rejection–turmoil, and self‐ to death‐identification. It is suggested this dimensional analysis could provide a viable frame for examining and interpreting descriptions about suicide risk and may serve to extend theoretical accounts.