Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance
Background: Suicidal ideation (SI) is prevalent and associated with negative mental health outcomes in young people, including psychiatric symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). These associations are not well understood, as is the role of experiential avoidance (EA) in the maintenance of SI...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915324000192 |
| _version_ | 1797350548895170560 |
|---|---|
| author | Álvaro I. Langer Carlos Schmidt Vania Martínez Scarlett Mac-Ginty Reiner Fuentes Daniel Núñez |
| author_facet | Álvaro I. Langer Carlos Schmidt Vania Martínez Scarlett Mac-Ginty Reiner Fuentes Daniel Núñez |
| author_sort | Álvaro I. Langer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Suicidal ideation (SI) is prevalent and associated with negative mental health outcomes in young people, including psychiatric symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). These associations are not well understood, as is the role of experiential avoidance (EA) in the maintenance of SI in university students. Method: The association between recent (last 30-days) and future (next 12-months) SI with NSSI, depression, anxiety, perceived life stress, and EA was explored in university students who completed an online survey (N = 1,355; 69 % women). Logistic regression analyses were used to predict recent and future SI. Interaction effects were explored to assess the moderating role of EA between NSSI, psychiatric symptoms, and SI. Results: Past-NSSI plus past-SI were strongly associated with recent SI (OR = 6.08) and future SI (OR = 25.36), even over and above current psychiatric symptoms. Additionally, EA moderated the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and recent SI. Specifically, anxiety and perceived life stress were associated with an increased risk of recent SI in students with low EA, compared to those with high EA. Limitations: The cross-sectional design does not allow us to infer causal relationships between variables. We only evaluated past NSSI and past SI with a single dichotomous item. Then, we did not capture the full heterogeneity of methods related to both phenomena. Only first-year university students were included and a convenience sampling method was used. Conclusions: Past-NSSI and past-SI are risk factors in the maintenance of recent and future SI, whereas EA operates as a specific moderating mechanism for SI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:47:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e4fbba45517488ca4500640abddae22 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-9153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:47:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e4fbba45517488ca4500640abddae222024-01-21T05:11:07ZengElsevierJournal of Affective Disorders Reports2666-91532024-04-0116100734Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidanceÁlvaro I. Langer0Carlos Schmidt1Vania Martínez2Scarlett Mac-Ginty3Reiner Fuentes4Daniel Núñez5Millennium Nucleus to Improve the Mental Health of Adolescents and Youths, Imhay, Chile; Faculty of Psychologies and Humanities, Universidad San Sebastián, Valdivia, ChileBrain, Cognition and Behavior PhD Program, University of Barcelona, SpainMillennium Nucleus to Improve the Mental Health of Adolescents and Youths, Imhay, Chile; Centro de Medicina Reproductiva y Desarrollo Integral del Adolescente, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, ChileMillennium Nucleus to Improve the Mental Health of Adolescents and Youths, Imhay, Chile; Department of Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UKMillennium Nucleus to Improve the Mental Health of Adolescents and Youths, Imhay, Chile; Instituto de Estudios Psicológicos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de ChileMillennium Nucleus to Improve the Mental Health of Adolescents and Youths, Imhay, Chile; Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Talca, Chile; Corresponding author at: Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Talca, Avda. Lircay s/n., Talca, Chile.Background: Suicidal ideation (SI) is prevalent and associated with negative mental health outcomes in young people, including psychiatric symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). These associations are not well understood, as is the role of experiential avoidance (EA) in the maintenance of SI in university students. Method: The association between recent (last 30-days) and future (next 12-months) SI with NSSI, depression, anxiety, perceived life stress, and EA was explored in university students who completed an online survey (N = 1,355; 69 % women). Logistic regression analyses were used to predict recent and future SI. Interaction effects were explored to assess the moderating role of EA between NSSI, psychiatric symptoms, and SI. Results: Past-NSSI plus past-SI were strongly associated with recent SI (OR = 6.08) and future SI (OR = 25.36), even over and above current psychiatric symptoms. Additionally, EA moderated the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and recent SI. Specifically, anxiety and perceived life stress were associated with an increased risk of recent SI in students with low EA, compared to those with high EA. Limitations: The cross-sectional design does not allow us to infer causal relationships between variables. We only evaluated past NSSI and past SI with a single dichotomous item. Then, we did not capture the full heterogeneity of methods related to both phenomena. Only first-year university students were included and a convenience sampling method was used. Conclusions: Past-NSSI and past-SI are risk factors in the maintenance of recent and future SI, whereas EA operates as a specific moderating mechanism for SI.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915324000192Suicidal ideationExperiential avoidanceNon-suicidal self-injuryUniversity students |
| spellingShingle | Álvaro I. Langer Carlos Schmidt Vania Martínez Scarlett Mac-Ginty Reiner Fuentes Daniel Núñez Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance Journal of Affective Disorders Reports Suicidal ideation Experiential avoidance Non-suicidal self-injury University students |
| title | Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance |
| title_full | Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance |
| title_fullStr | Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance |
| title_short | Suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and psychopathology in university students: Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance |
| title_sort | suicidal ideation non suicidal self injury and psychopathology in university students examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance |
| topic | Suicidal ideation Experiential avoidance Non-suicidal self-injury University students |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915324000192 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alvaroilanger suicidalideationnonsuicidalselfinjuryandpsychopathologyinuniversitystudentsexaminingthemoderatingroleofexperientialavoidance AT carlosschmidt suicidalideationnonsuicidalselfinjuryandpsychopathologyinuniversitystudentsexaminingthemoderatingroleofexperientialavoidance AT vaniamartinez suicidalideationnonsuicidalselfinjuryandpsychopathologyinuniversitystudentsexaminingthemoderatingroleofexperientialavoidance AT scarlettmacginty suicidalideationnonsuicidalselfinjuryandpsychopathologyinuniversitystudentsexaminingthemoderatingroleofexperientialavoidance AT reinerfuentes suicidalideationnonsuicidalselfinjuryandpsychopathologyinuniversitystudentsexaminingthemoderatingroleofexperientialavoidance AT danielnunez suicidalideationnonsuicidalselfinjuryandpsychopathologyinuniversitystudentsexaminingthemoderatingroleofexperientialavoidance |