Background: While suicide rates for youth continue to rise, most extant research continues to approach prevention from the individual level focused on risk factors. This study aims to address this issue and contribute to the existing literature by (1) examining suicide and the role of social support as a protective factor through the lens of a socioecological framework, and (2) using an intersectional approach to determine which youth are most at risk for suicide and how social support may be differentially effective for marginalized youth. Methods: Secondary analysis of Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth survey data involved cluster analyses to determine the implications of intersectionality on youth suicide, and a combination of stepwise and hierarchical regression models to investigate the unique and compounding role of social support as a protective factor for youth suicide, as well as its role in moderating in the relationship between intersectionality and suicide risk. Results: Youth with marginalized identities, as well as those with intersecting marginalized identities, were significantly more likely to be high-risk. Social support at the family, school, and community levels was found to be significantly associated with reduced suicide risk, and the combination of multiple sources of support was more protective than any unique source. Finally, family and school support significantly moderated the impacts of intersecting marginalized identities on suicide risk. Discussion: Findings highlight the importance of attending to protective factors in every context in which youth live, learn, and play. In addition, measuring and reporting social identities as well as their combinations and interactions adds to our understanding of both risk and prevention.
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