This study explored the contributions of sociocultural and psychopathological factors to suicidal ideation among adolescents. A sample of 292 French high school students with an immigrant background completed a questionnaire assessing suicidal ideation, borderline personality traits, depressive symptoms, parental attachment, life events, acculturation orientations, ethnic identity, cannabis and alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status and academic failure. Although stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and individualism were risk factors, and attachment to parents a protective factor for both boys and girls, some gender differences emerged. Borderline traits (risk factor), assimilation and marginalization (both protective factors) were significant predictors only among girls. © 2010, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.

Adolescents Suicidal ideation psychopathology Acculturation

vocational education immigrant depression social psychology Alcohol Drinking alcohol consumption France Social Identification human sex difference life event Depressive Disorder borderline state achievement Young Adult social status Humans Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation Socioeconomic Factors female risk factor Risk Factors cultural factor Parenting life stress child psychiatry Article major clinical study Borderline Personality Disorder ethnicity cannabis smoking academic failure Marijuana Abuse emotional attachment Multilingualism child parent relation suicidal ideation