Starting or ending teen relationships tied to higher suicide risk in Chinese students
Mar 6th 2026
A yearlong study of Chinese adolescents finds that starting a romantic relationship or experiencing both a start and an end raises the odds of suicidal thoughts and attempts, with new romances especially linked to increased risk among teens who had no prior suicidal behavior.
- Longitudinal Journal of Adolescence study surveyed over 11,000 Chinese students (grades 7, 8 and 10) and followed more than 7,000 of them one year later to track romance events and suicidal behaviors.
- Starting a new romantic relationship predicted higher odds of later suicidal behavior, including a 54 percent higher chance of new suicidal thoughts and double the chance of a new suicide attempt among teens with no prior suicidal history.
- Experiencing both the start and end of a relationship within the study year was linked to higher odds of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts at follow-up.
- Breaking up alone did not predict new suicidal behavior among teenagers who had no prior suicidal history.
- Girls reported higher rates of suicidal behaviors, though statistical tests showed the sex differences were not significant.
- Researchers note important limitations: self-reported data, crude measures of relationship quality, only two survey waves a year apart, and no data on coping, peer support, or sexual orientation; cultural stigma against teen dating in China may make new relationships especially stressful.
- Authors recommend schools and parents provide emotional support and relationship education rather than only banning dating to help reduce teens' risk of suicidal behavior.