The Correlation of Loneliness and Rumination with Suicidal Ideation in Female Students: The Mediating Role of Perceived Parenting Styles

Background: Loneliness and rumination are significant risk factors for suicidal ideation and behaviors among adolescents, particularly female students. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between loneliness, rumination, and suicidal ideation in female students, examining the mediating role of perceived parenting styles.Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional and correlational design. The target population consisted of all female students enrolled in middle schools in Ahvaz, Iran during the 2022-2023 academic year. A multistage cluster sampling technique was employed to select a representative sample of 212 participants. The study employed self-report measures to collect data, including the Suicidal Ideation Scale (SIS), UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS), Rumination Response Scale (RRS), and Perceived Parenting Styles Scale (PPSS). To examine the correlations between the study variables, Pearson’s correlations and structural equation modeling were conducted using SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 24, respectively.Results: We found significant positive correlations between suicidal ideation and rumination (r=0.72, P=0.001), loneliness (r=0.39, P=0.001), and perceived parenting styles (r=0.42, P=0.001). Additionally, rumination was significantly correlated with loneliness (r=0.28, P=0.0126) and perceived parenting styles (r=0.55, P=0.001). Loneliness and perceived parenting styles also exhibited a significant positive correlation (r=0.58, P=0.001). The mediation analysis results indicated that loneliness (β=0.26, P=0.003) and rumination (β=0.19, P=0.004) were indirectly associated with suicidal ideation through the mediating effect of perceived parenting styles (P<0.001). The fit indices of the SEM demonstrated good model fit (TLI=0.96, CFI=0.97, RMSEA=0.070).Conclusions: These findings highlighted the importance of addressing loneliness, rumination, and fostering positive parenting styles to reduce the risk of suicidal ideation in female adolescents.