Suicide is the second most common cause of death among adolescents, representing one-quarter of all deaths among youth 15 to 19 years of age. Approximately one million people commit suicides every year in world and adolescents constitute the most vulnerable group (WHO, 2012). ). Out of one million suicidal deaths, about 135,000 (17%) belong to India (GOI, 2012).It is not simply an individual problem but a social problem as well. In view of the above, this study was conducted to examine the effects of some individual and social factors on suicidal ideation. It was hypothesized that adolescents would differ significantly in suicidal ideation in relation to their individual and social characteristics.In all, 300 adolescents enrolled in some of the higher secondary schools of Jaunpur (U.P.), aging between 12 to 17 years constituted the sample. The variables included age, gender, locale, economic condition, parental occupation and type of family. TS-Suicidal Ideation Scale (Singh and Thakur, 2004) was administered on the participants to ascertain the suicidal ideation among them. The results revealed that older adolescents exhibited significantly higher level of suicidal ideation than younger adolescents. Adolescents from nuclear families and poor socio-economic status and female participants were found to be significantly more prone to suicidal ideation. The parental background was also found to exert differential effects on suicidal ideation, but locale of the participants did not emerge as a risk factor for suicidal ideation. The findings are thoroughly discussed and interpreted and the implications of the study from the point of view of managing suicidal problems and suicidal ideation are also highlighted.
