Arch Suicide Res. 2022 Apr-Jun;26(2):886-895. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2020.1841053. Epub 2020 Oct 30.
Emotion regulation strategies and related constructs have been implicated both as risk and protective factors in a range of mental health outcomes among young adults. To expand upon this previous research, we examined comfort expressing four discrete emotions (i.e., love, happiness, sadness, and anger) as factors that protect against suicide ideation in young adults, within the context of the interpersonal theory of suicide.
The sample consisted of 449 college students (73.1% female, 70.6% Hispanic, age = 20.5 years) taking part in a larger study of mood and well-being. Students were recruited from a psychology participant pool and completed self-report measures at a single time point for course credit. Comfort expressing emotions and suicide ideation were assessed using the Measure of Verbally Expressed Emotion (MoVEE) and Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ), respectively. Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were assessed using the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ).
Preliminary analyses revealed negative associations between comfort expressing all four emotions and suicide ideation (s -.13 to -.26). Results from structural equation modeling supported indirect effects from comfort expressing happiness and sadness to suicide ideation, via perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. An indirect effect was also identified from comfort expressing love to suicide ideation, via thwarted belongingness.
Results suggest that comfort expressing emotions (particularly sadness and happiness) is a protective factor against suicide ideation for young adults. These findings suggest that suicide-prevention efforts may wish to focus on increasing comfort expressing emotions to trusted support networks as potential intervention targets.HIGHLIGHTSComfort expressing emotions is negatively associated with suicide ideation.Comfort expressing emotions is associated with belongingness and burdensomeness.Comfort expressing emotions may be a potential target for suicide prevention.
情绪调节策略和相关结构被认为是年轻人一系列心理健康结果的风险和保护因素。为了进一步扩展之前的研究，我们在人际自杀理论的背景下，考察了表达四种不同情绪（即爱、快乐、悲伤和愤怒）的舒适度作为保护年轻人免受自杀意念影响的因素。
该样本由 449 名大学生（73.1%为女性，70.6%为西班牙裔，年龄为 20.5 岁）组成，他们参与了一项关于情绪和幸福感的更大研究。学生从心理学参与者群体中招募，并在一个单一的时间点完成自我报告的测量，以获得课程学分。使用表达情绪的口头测量（MoVEE）和成人自杀意念问卷（ASIQ）分别评估表达情绪的舒适度和自杀意念。使用人际需求问卷（INQ）评估被感知的负担和归属感受挫。
初步分析显示，表达四种情绪的舒适度与自杀意念呈负相关（s 为 -.13 至 -.26）。结构方程模型的结果支持了通过被感知的负担和归属感受挫，从表达快乐和悲伤的舒适度到自杀意念的间接影响。从表达爱到自杀意念的间接影响也通过归属感受挫得到了证实。
结果表明，表达情绪的舒适度（特别是悲伤和快乐）是年轻人自杀意念的保护因素。这些发现表明，预防自杀的努力可能希望将重点放在增加与可信赖的支持网络表达情绪的舒适度上，作为潜在的干预目标。
表达情绪的舒适度与自杀意念呈负相关。表达情绪的舒适度与归属感和负担感有关。表达情绪的舒适度可能是预防自杀的潜在目标。
