ERIC Number: EJ1479524
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Sep
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0044-118X
EISSN: EISSN-1552-8499
Available Date: 0000-00-00
"You Are the Father": Investigating the Relationship between Adolescent Fatherhood and Suicide Attempt
D'Andre Walker1; Gabriel T. Cesar2; Katharine L. Brown1; Katherine Norris1; Mason Myers1; Joshua Rosenbaum1
Youth & Society, v57 n6 p1097-1117 2025
Pregnancy rates among adolescents have declined in the United States since the early 1990s. Despite the steady decline, adolescent pregnancy and parenthood remain risk factors for negative outcomes associated with youth development, education, and behavioral health. To date, most research on adolescent parenthood has focused heavily on the challenges faced by adolescent mothers, while rarely examining the adverse effects of parenthood for adolescent fathers. Early childbearing is a stressful experience that may increase the risk of negative mental health outcomes for young fathers, including suicidal behaviors. Using an all-male sample of adolescents (N = 6,588) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), this study investigates the relationship between adolescent fatherhood and suicide attempt. Findings from logistic regression analysis show that adolescent fathers' odds of reporting a suicide attempt was 4.5 times greater than non-father adolescents. This empirical finding has important implications for youth development, suicide prevention, and future research.
Descriptors: Adolescents, Early Parenthood, Fathers, Suicide, Self Destructive Behavior, Mental Health, Males, Longitudinal Studies, Stress Variables, Coping, Secondary School Students, Depression (Psychology), Self Esteem, Social Support Groups, Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Age Differences
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH); National Institute on Aging (NIA) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: P01HD31921; U01AG071448; U01AG071450
Author Affiliations: 1University of Mississippi, University, USA; 2Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, USA