Article
Protective and well-being factors in the face of youth suicide
What helps young people cope with emotional distress?
Arnau Carmona, Regina Vila Badia, Queralt Sales, Jordi Mestres, Ariadna Corbella, Alícia Colomer and Judith Usall, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu
Project selected in the Social Research Call, 2023
According to this study, carried out in Catalonia in 2024-2025 with a sample of 3,159 young people aged 16 to 22, the indicators related to suicidal behaviour in this group are extremely worrying: 25.9% of young people had self-harmed, 30.6% had experienced suicidal thoughts and 10.6% had attempted suicide. These truly alarming figures require the design of strategies to promote the mental health of young people and preventive public policies. It is therefore crucial to identify not only the risk factors, but also the protective factors that favour the emotional well-being of young people.
Key points
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1The results show that social support and resilience are the main protective factors, while social media addiction produces the opposite effect.
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2Social support – understood as the perception of having a network of important individuals who provide emotional, practical and communicative support – is notably lower among young people with suicidal thoughts (11% lower), particularly among those who have attempted suicide (17% lower), compared to the control group. Conversely, the difference observed in the self-harm group is not statistically significant.
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3Resilience – understood as the capacity to face difficult experiences and adapt positively to them – is notably lower among young individuals with suicidal thoughts (8% lower), and this difference is more noticeable among those who have attempted suicide (11% lower), compared to the control group. Conversely, the difference observed in the self-harm group is not statistically significant.
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4A significant increase in the problematic use of social media is observed among the other groups compared to young people who have never exhibited suicidal behaviour: 6% among those who self-harm, 7% among those who have experienced suicidal thoughts and 8% among those who have attempted suicide.
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5The key to reducing the risk of suicidal behaviour lies in strengthening social support, resilience and the healthy use of social media in schools, at home and within the community.
