Purpose: This study was done to compare families of boys or of girls for actor and partner effect of stress, depression and parent-adolescent communication as perceived by mother, father and adolescent on adolescents' suicidal ideation.
Methods: Participants were 183 families (104 boys' families, 79 girls' families) who met eligibility criteria. All measures were self-administered. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0 program.
Results: In boys' families, boys' depression and communication with father showed actor effect on boys' suicidal ideation. Boys' stress showed indirect effect on boys' suicidal ideation through communication with father and boys' depression. Mothers' depression showed indirect partner effect on boys' suicidal ideation through boys' depression. In families of girls, girls' depression and stress showed actor effects on girls' suicidal ideation. Girls' communication with mother showed indirect effects through girls' depression. Also girls' stress showed indirect effect through girls' depression. Stress in mothers and/or fathers showed partner effect on girls' suicidal ideation.
Conclusion: To intervene in adolescents' suicidal ideation and promote adolescents' mental health, programs should be developed differently according to gender and based on parent's psychological states.
Keywords: Adolescent; Communication; Depression; Stress; Suicidal ideation.