The present study sought to examine optimism and hope as predictors of suicidal behaviors (viz., suicide ideation and suicide attempt) in a sample of 179 adult primary care patients. Furthermore, we aimed to determine if the combination of hope and optimism would account for additional variance in the prediction model for suicidal behaviors among this population. In this cross-sectional study, participants completed measures of hope (viz., agency and pathways), optimism, and suicidal behaviors, as well as a series of demographics questions. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the aforementioned hypotheses. Results indicated that hope and optimism were both significant and unique predictors of suicidal behaviors among adult primary care patients. However, the hope-by-optimism interaction terms were not found to be significant. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.

The present study examined sexual assault victimization and loneliness as predictors of self-harm behaviors in a sample of 224 female college students. Results from conducting regression analysis indicated that both sexual assault victimization and loneliness were unique and significant predictors of self-harm behaviors. This pattern remained even after controlling for concomitant suicidal behaviors. Interestingly, in a post hoc analysis predicting suicidal behaviors, it was found that loneliness, but not sexual assault victimization, was the only unique and significant predictor after controlling for self-harm behaviors. Some implications of the present findings for understanding self-harm behaviors in female college students and the importance of controlling for suicidal behaviors in studies of self-harm behaviors (and vice versa) are discussed.

We examined an additive and interactive model involving domestic partner violence (DPV) and hope in accounting for suicidal behaviors in a sample of 98 community adults. Results showed that DPV accounted for a significant amount of variance in suicidal behaviors. Hope further augmented the prediction model and accounted for suicidal behaviors beyond DPV. Finally, we found that DPV significantly interacted with both dimensions of hope to further account for additional variance in suicidal behaviors above and beyond the independent effects of DPV and hope. Implications for the role of hope in the relationship between DPV and suicidal behaviors are discussed.

This study is an analysis of adolescent risk behaviors contributing to an increased rate of suicidal ideation for 12 to 18 year olds. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey (YRBSS) is an epidemiologic survey designed to monitor the prevalence of risky behaviors of adolescents in middle and high school1. The YRBSS is a complex sample survey with a three-stage cluster design. Multiple logistic regression is used to analyze the data, including methods of analysis to address issues in complex survey design. Results of this study indicate several different risk factors that influence the rate of suicidal ideation among adolescents, including alcohol and drug use, sexual risky behaviors, unhealthy weight loss methods, depressed mood, sex and race/ethnicity. The conclusions of this study indicate that many risk factors associated with suicidal ideation are behaviors that could be addressed with early intervention strategies to reduce the risk of suicidal ideation.

The present study examined presence of sexual assault history and perfectionism (viz., positive strivings & evaluative concerns) as predictors of self-destructive behaviors (viz., NSSI & suicidal behaviors) in a sample of 287 women college students. Results obtained from conducting a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated several notable patterns. Sexual assault history was a consistent predictor of both NSSI and suicidal behaviors. Moreover, the inclusion of perfectionism was also found to consistently predict additional unique variance in NSSI and suicidal behaviors, even after accounting for sexual assault history. These patterns remained largely unchanged even after accounting for shared variance between NSSI and suicidal behaviors. Within the perfectionism set, evaluative concerns emerged as the most consistent unique predictor of both indices of self-destructive behavior. Finally, we did not find evidence for a significant Positive Strivings × Evaluative Concerns interaction effect in our analyses. Overall, our findings indicate that beyond the presence of sexual assault history, perfectionism remains an important predictor of self-destructive behaviors in women college students.

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In the present study, we examined ethnic variables (viz., multigroup ethnic identity and other group orientation) along with negative life events as predictors of depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors in a sample of 156 (38 male and 118 female) Latino college students. Results of conducting hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the set of ethnic variables accounted for significant variance in both depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors. The inclusion of negative life events was found to account for significant additional variance in both outcomes, beyond what was accounted for by ethnic variables. Interestingly, beyond main effects, results indicated a significant Other Group Orientation × Negative Life Events interaction effect to account for additional variance in depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors. Some implications of the present findings are discussed, including the potential value for Latinos to broaden their attitudes and interactions with other ethnic groups.

This study examined academic motivation and basic psychological needs as predictors of suicidal risk (namely, depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors) in a sample of 348 college students. Results from regression analyses indicated that academic motivation was a significant predictor of suicidal risk. The inclusion of basic psychological needs significantly augmented the prediction model. The authors discuss implications for considering academic motivation and basic psychological needs in college counseling on the basis of the results.

Suicide is a significant public health concern and the second leading cause of death for college students. Perceived stress, depression, and mental health stigma are established risk factors for suicidal behavior; however, their interrelationships are unknown. Data were collected from 913 collegiate housing residents (70.8% female; N = 646). Using data from self-report measures, depressive symptoms were examined as a mediator of the relation between stress and suicidal behavior, along with the moderating effect of mental health stigma. Depressive symptoms partially mediated the stress–suicide linkage, and mental health stigma was a significant moderator of the associations between stress and depression, depression and suicidal behavior, and stress and suicidal behavior. Stigmatized attitudes toward mental health treatment, including fear of social repercussion, may exacerbate the deleterious impact of stress on psychopathology and suicide risk. Individual-level therapeutic strategies targeting stress and psychopathology, as well as public health approaches that directly address and attempt to reduce mental health stigma, may reduce suicide risk in college students.

Suicide represents a major problem for all members of society. Findings from studies have shown that suicide risk is among the highest in young adult populations. Although a variety of factors have been identified in trying to predict suicide risk in young adults, one variable that has received considerable attention has been social disconnectedness. For example, according to Joiner’s (2005) theory of suicide, being socially disconnected from others represents a critical factor that heightens a person’s risk for suicide. Consistent with this view, findings from numerous studies have shown a reliable association between loneliness and suicide risk (Hatcher & Stubbersfield, 2013). For example, Chang and his colleagues (Chang et al., 2015; Chang, Muyan, & Hirsch, 2015; Muyan & Chang, 2015) have found a reliable association between loneliness and greater suicide risk (e.g., hopelessness, suicidal behaviors) in diverse cultural groups. Indeed, in one study, Chang, Hirsch, Sanna, Jeglic, and Fabian (2011) found that loneliness was an important predictor of suicide risk in Latina college students. Although these findings are important and point to the potential value of loneliness as a predictor of suicide risk in diverse adult groups, they do not take into account more culture- specific variables. Accordingly, we conducted the present study to examine the extent to which culture- specific (emic) variables might play an important role in predicting suicide risk, and to also determine if the inclusion of a general (etic) explanatory variable would add to the prediction of suicide risk, namely, hopelessness and suicidal behaviors, in a sample of 155 Latino college students. We conducted a pair of regression analyses including demographic variables (viz., age & sex) in the First Step, ethnic identity variables (ethnic affirmation, ethnic identity achievement, ethnic behaviors, & other group orientation; Phinney, 1992) in the Second Step, and loneliness (Russell, Peplau, & Curtrona, 1980) in the final Third Step, in predicting hopelessness and suicidal behaviors. Results of these analyses for both outcomes indicated that demographic variables did not account for significant variance in suicide risk. However, ethnic identity variables, as a set, were found to account for a significant 11% of the variance in hopelessness, and a significant 10% of the variance in suicide behaviors. Noteworthy, the inclusion of loneliness was found to account for an additional 19% of unique variance in hopelessness, and an additional 13% of unique variance in suicidal behaviors. Taken together, our findings underscore the importance of considering both emic and etic factors in trying to identify variables that may place Latinos at heightened risk for suicide. Additionally, our findings also point to the potential value of targeting specific ethnic identity variables (e.g., ethnic identity achievement) as well as loneliness when working with Latinos at risk for suicide.