The Association of Intrapersonal Trait Emotional Intelligence and Resilience with Suicidal Ideation in University Students.

BACKGROUND

Suicidal ideation is not restricted to psychiatric patients. To the contrary, it is not uncommon in the general population and constitutes a precursor for suicide attempts and completed suicides. While risk factors for suicidality have extensively been described, much less attention has been devoted to the investigation of protective factors. In the current study we investigated two of such potential protective factors in combination, namely trait emotional intelligence (EI) and resilience in a sample of university students.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We recruited 277 university students without an active physical or mental disorder requiring medical attention via an online questionnaire and assessed lifetime and four-week suicidal ideation. Resilience was measured with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, EI with the Self-report Emotional Ability Scale and stressful life events with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. Logistic regression was used to investigate the effect of EI and resilience on lifetime and four-week suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

Resilience as well as intrapersonal trait EI factors were significantly lower in individuals who reported lifetime suicidal ideation. The regression analysis revealed the EI facet "Regulation of one's own emotions" and the resilience factor "Control" to be significant predictors of lifetime and/or four-week suicidal ideation. Neither trait EI nor resilience had a moderating effect on the relationship between life events and suicidality.

CONCLUSIONS

Low intrapersonal EI and low resilience are associated with lifetime and, in part, four-week suicidal ideation.