The relationship of maternal parenting practices with emotional state and suicide risk in adolescents with deviant behavior

Introduction. The relevance of this study is determined by the increasing risk of suicide in adolescence and the transformation of the family institution, marked by declining cohesion and rising aggressiveness in child– parent relationships. The study aims to explore how maternal parenting practices are associated with suicidal risk indicators in adolescents with deviant behaviour, while also considering their emotional state Materials and Methods. This article presents an analysis of empirical data collected in 2024 from a sample of 80 adolescents with deviant behavior (petty theft, insolence towards adults, truancy from school, increased conflict, occasional use of psychoactive substances, etc.). The following instruments were used: the Teenagers about Parents Questionnaire (adapted by L. Wasserman, I. Gorkovaya, E. Romitsyna), the Suicidal Risk Questionnaire by A. Shmelev (modified by T. Razuvaeva), and the DASS-21 questionnaire (adapted by A. Zolotareva). The sample was divided into groups exhibiting low, medium and high level of suicidal risk. Results. In adolescents with deviant behaviour, a low suicidal risk was observed in 21 %, a medium risk in 45 %, and a high risk in 34 % of respondents. It was found that 75 % of adolescents came from dysfunctional families, including 50 % from families that appeared outwardly positive. The vast majority (78 %) reported broken relationships with their fathers, including no interaction despite cohabitation. In adolescents with low suicidal risk, the strongest indicators of suicidal risk were mainly associated with maternal parenting practices, with ‘inconsistency’ being the most significant. In the medium-risk group, no correlations were established between maternal parenting practices and suicidal risk indicators; in this group, suicidal risk was associated with anxiety, depression, and stress. In adolescents with high suicidal risk, indicators of suicidal risk were equally associated with the materteral parenting practices ‘hostility’, ‘positivity’ and ‘inconsistency’, and the adolescents’ emotional state. Conclusions. The results can be used in individual psychological support of adolescents with deviant behaviour exhibiting varying levels of suicide risk.