Associations between COVID-19 pandemic experiences and suicidal ideation among adolescents: the mediating role of life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, and anxiety.

Suicidal ideation was reported by 16.7% of adolescents in the 2022 Slovenian HBSC sample.

• Data were drawn from the 2022 cross-national Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in Slovenia.
• The representative sample included 8,638 adolescents aged 11, 13, 15, and 17 years.
• 51.7% of the sample were girls.
• Suicidal ideation prevalence of 16.7% was identified across the full age range.

The structural equation model explained 45.4% of the variance in suicidal ideation.

• A structural equation model (SEM) was tested with pandemic-related experiences as predictors.
• Mental health indicators (life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, and anxiety) served as intervening variables.
• Suicidal ideation was the outcome variable.
• The model accounted for 45.4% of the variance in suicidal ideation.

Perceived impacts of the pandemic on family relationships showed the strongest overall association with suicidal ideation.

• Family relationship impacts were associated with suicidal ideation both directly and indirectly through all three mental health indicators (life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, and anxiety).
• Pandemic-related changes in family relationships showed the strongest overall association with suicidal ideation among all pandemic experiences examined.
• This finding highlights family-level stressors as a primary pathway to adolescent suicidal ideation during major societal disruption.

Perceived impact on future expectations was associated with suicidal ideation both directly and indirectly through all three mental health indicators.

• Future expectations were one of the pandemic-related experiences assessed alongside hospitalization, family relationships, friendships, school performance, and family finances.
• The association operated through life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, and anxiety as mediators.
• Both direct and indirect pathways were identified for this predictor.

Hospitalization of a family member during COVID-19 was associated with suicidal ideation both directly and indirectly through all three mental health indicators.

• Family member hospitalization was one of five COVID-19 pandemic experience variables included in the model.
• Direct and indirect pathways via life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, and anxiety were all significant.
• This represents a specific acute stressor distinct from perceived relational and functional changes.

Perceived impact on friendships was associated with suicidal ideation directly and indirectly via life satisfaction only, not via subjective wellbeing or anxiety.

• Friendship impact showed a more limited mediating pathway compared to family relationships and future expectations.
• Life satisfaction was the specific mediator through which the friendship-suicidal ideation indirect pathway operated.
• No significant indirect pathway through subjective wellbeing or anxiety was identified for friendship impact.

Perceived changes in academic performance were associated with suicidal ideation both directly and indirectly via subjective wellbeing and anxiety, but not via life satisfaction.

• Academic performance impact operated through a different combination of mediators than family or friendship impacts.
• Subjective wellbeing and anxiety mediated the relationship between academic performance changes and suicidal ideation.
• Life satisfaction was not a significant mediator for the academic performance pathway.

All three mental health indicators—life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, and anxiety—functioned as mediators between various pandemic experiences and suicidal ideation.

• Life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, and anxiety were tested as intervening variables in the SEM.
• Different pandemic experiences showed differential patterns of mediation through these three indicators.
• Family relationship and future expectation impacts were mediated through all three indicators, while other experiences showed more selective mediation pathways.

Perceived changes in family finances were included as a pandemic-related predictor in the model.

• Family finances were among the five pandemic experience domains assessed (alongside family relationships, friendships, school performance, and future expectations, plus family member hospitalization).
• Specific pathway details for family finances are described in the broader model context.
• This variable was part of a comprehensive assessment of pandemic-related disruptions.