Neurobehavioral pathways linking socioeconomic status hardship to suicide risk versus resilience in young adolescents: the roles of sleep health and default mode network connectivity.
Assaf Oshri, Cullin J Howard, Steven M Kogan, Linhao Zhang, Charles F. Geier, Brian W Bauer, Ellen House
Translational Psychiatry November 24, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-025-03710-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 11,878 |
| Population | Adolescents from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study |
| Duration | Three waves |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Suicidal thoughts Suicide risk Mental health impacts Adolescent resilience Youth resilience Adolescents Brain connectivity Brain network coherence Neural networks Socioeconomic factors Economic hardship Economic difficulties Sleep health Sleep duration |
| Key findings | Shorter sleep duration mediated the association between socioeconomic hardship and suicidal ideation, while high Default Mode Network coherence weakened this indirect effect. |
Abstract
Socioeconomic hardship (SES-H) is a known risk factor for adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). This study examined sleep health as a pathway linking SES-H to suicide risk and evaluated the moderating role of Default Mode Network (DMN) coherence. Data came from three waves of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,878). Increased SES-H predicted greater suicidal ideation and attempts. Shorter sleep duration mediated the association with ideation, while high DMN coherence attenuated the indirect effect of SES-H on ideation via sleep. Findings highlight sleep health as a mechanism connecting socioeconomic adversity to suicidality and suggest DMN coherence may function as a neuroprotective factor for youth resilience.