The association of lifetime suicidal ideation with perceived parental love and family structure in childhood in a nationally representative adult sample

• This study investigated a large, nationally representative sample of adults.
• Parental love and suicidal ideation were associated regardless of family structure.
• Parental love was associated with 42–43% lower odds of lifetime suicide ideation.
• The association remained when controlling psychiatric and sociodemographic factors.

While perceived support from caregivers in the early stages of life is an aspect of family environment that is increasingly recognized as important for understanding lifetime suicidal behaviors, it is not well understood whether the relationship between perceived support from caregivers during childhood and lifetime suicidal behaviors holds regardless of family structure. This study examined the association between perceived love from caregivers in childhood and lifetime suicidal ideation in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (N=5,692, 2001–2003). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between lifetime suicidal ideation and retrospectively ascertained data on perceived love from caregivers during childhood as well as clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of study participants. Regression analyses were stratified by family structure, namely, whether or not study participants lived with two biological parents during childhood. Regardless of whether or not they lived with two biological parents during childhood, individuals who perceived love from caregivers during childhood had significantly 42–43% lower odds of lifetime suicide ideation as compared with those who did not perceive love from caregivers. Results suggest that perceived support from caregivers during childhood is an important correlate of lifetime suicidal ideation, regardless of family structure.