Paths of Intervention During the Suicide Process: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Young Adults in China

Objective: This study examines paths of intervention during the suicide process among Chinese young adults.Methods: It used qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to analyze the cases of 47 Chinese young people (aged 16–28) with suicidal experiences. From the perspective of social interaction, this study selected suicide communication, suicide behavior, family support, peer support, and school support as conditional variables for suicide intervention outcomes.Results: The necessary condition analysis showed that the lack of family support was necessary for the failed intervention. The configuration analysis identified five successful intervention pathways and two failed paths. Specifically, two-way interaction and multidimensional support (from family, peers, and school) were the keys to successful intervention of youth suicide. Meanwhile, the lack of suicidal communication, fatal suicidal behaviors, and single peer support led to intervention failure.Conclusion: This article highlights the bidirectional interactive characteristics of suicide intervention. Strengthening attention to individual suicidal behaviors (including identifying suicide signals and limiting fatal suicide methods) and promoting more intervention efforts (including family, school, and peers) are particularly important for preventing youth suicide in the future.