Approximately 43% of college students report experiencing suicidal ideation in the past year, and suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students, making it a significant public health concern. Development of successful suicide intervention and prevention strategies is predicated on identification of risk (e.g. negative life events, hopelessness) and protective factors (e.g. self-compassion) that may be targeted for treatment. A well-established linkage exists between life stressors and suicidal behavior; however, potential mechanisms of action underlying this association are under-researched. It may be that negative life events contribute to feelings of hopelessness, which is conceptualized as negative beliefs and expectations about one’s self and future. However, not all persons who experience negative life events and hopelessness become suicidal, perhaps due to protective factors such as self-compassion. Comprised of self-kindness, mindfulness and sense of common humanity, self-compassion may contribute to emotional resilience when negative life events occur; however, this premise has not been previously examined. We hypothesized that hopelessness would mediate the relation between negative life events and suicidal behaviors, such that negative life events would be related to increased feelings of hopelessness and, in turn, to greater risk for suicidal behavior. We also hypothesized that self-compassion would beneficially moderate the mediating effect of hopelessness. Our sample of college students (n=338) were primarily female (67%; n=227) and White (89.6%; n=294), with a mean age of 21.8 years (SD=4.7). Participants completed self-report measures including the Life Events Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Inventory, the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire - Revised, and the Self-Compassion Scale. Supporting our hypotheses, hopelessness fully mediated the relation between negative life events and suicidal behavior (DE=.07, SE=.06, 95% CI=.05,.28,p

The present study examined negative life events (NLEs) and sexual assault victimization as predictors of positive and negative psychological functioning in a sample of 151 female college students. Results obtained from conducting regression analyses indicated several notable patterns. NLEs, compared with sexual assault victimization, were a stronger negative predictor of positive functioning based on indices related to subjective well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, positive affect). Alternatively, sexual assault victimization, compared with NLEs, was a stronger positive predictor of negative functioning based on indices related to posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (e.g., anxiety) and related conditions (e.g., alcohol use). Furthermore, both NLEs and sexual assault victimization were found to be positive predictors of negative functioning based on indices related to suicide risk (e.g., depressive symptoms, suicidal behaviors). Overall, our findings indicate that both NLEs and sexual assault victimization represent important and distinct predictors of psychological functioning in female college students.

Aims. To prospectively examine whether negative life events (NLE) and low perceived coping efficacy (CE) increase the risk for the onset of various forms of psychopathology and low CE mediates the associations between NLE and incident mental disorders. Methods. A representative community sample of adolescents and young adults (N = 3017, aged 14–24 at baseline) was prospectively followed up in up to three assessment waves over 10 years. Anxiety, depressive and substance use disorders were assessed at each wave using the DSM-IV/M-CIDI. NLE and CE were assessed at baseline with the Munich Event List and the Scale for Self-Control and Coping Skills. Associations (odds ratios, OR) of NLE and CE at baseline with incident mental disorders at follow-up were estimated using logistic regressions adjusted for sex and age. Results. NLE at baseline predicted the onset of any disorder, any anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, generalised anxiety disorder, any depression, major depressive episodes, dysthymia, any substance use disorder, nicotine dependence and abuse/dependence of illicit drugs at follow-up (OR 1.02–1.09 per one NLE more). When adjusting for any other lifetime disorder prior to baseline, merely the associations of NLE with any anxiety disorder, any depression, major depressive episodes, dysthymia and any substance use disorder remained significant (OR 1.02–1.07). Low CE at baseline predicted the onset of any disorder, any anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, generalised anxiety disorder, any depression, major depressive episodes, dysthymia, any substance use disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, nicotine dependence and abuse/dependence of illicit drugs at follow-up (OR 1.16–1.72 per standard deviation). When adjusting for any other lifetime disorder prior to baseline, only the associations of low CE with any depression, major depressive episodes, dysthymia, any substance use disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, nicotine dependence and abuse/dependence of illicit drugs remained significant (OR 1.15–1.64). Low CE explained 9.46, 13.39, 12.65 and 17.31% of the associations between NLE and any disorder, any depression, major depressive episodes and dysthymia, respectively. When adjusting for any other lifetime disorder prior to baseline, the reductions in associations for any depression (9.77%) and major depressive episodes (9.40%) remained significant, while the reduction in association for dysthymia was attenuated to non-significance ( p-value > 0.05). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that NLE and low perceived CE elevate the risk for various incident mental disorders and that low CE partially mediates the association between NLE and incident depression. Subjects with NLE might thus profit from targeted early interventions strengthening CE to prevent the onset of depression.

This study aims to explore the impact of negative life events on identity development through a qualitative systematic literature review and qualitative content analysis. The research seeks to understand how negative life events trigger identity crises and influence self-perception. Method: A systematic search was conducted in the PsycInfo and PubMed databases, resulting in the selection of 12 relevant studies for analysis. Themes were identified through qualitative content analysis to elucidate the effects of negative life events on identity. Results: The analysis revealed that negative life events can lead to both identity challenges and personal growth. The findings underscore the importance of supporting individuals experiencing identity crises for authentic identity development. Conclusion: Understanding the complexities of identity formation in the face of adversity is crucial for providing effective support and interventions. Further research in this area is essential for enhancing our knowledge of how individuals navigate identity development amidst negative life events.

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