An Examination of the Connections Between Eating Disorder Symptoms, Perceived Burdensomeness, Thwarted Belongingness, and Suicide Risk Among Undergraduate Students.

Suicide attempts and premature mortality due to suicide are elevated in people with eating disorders. Informed by the interpersonal theory of suicide, two studies examined the role of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in explaining the association between eating disorder symptoms and suicide risk. Results indicated that various eating disorder symptoms had an indirect effect on suicide risk through perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Targeting perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness may be useful for decreasing suicide risk among undergraduates with eating disorder symptoms.

The relationship between trait impulsivity, negative affective states, and urge for nonsuicidal self-injury: a daily diary study.

Theories of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and impulsivity suggest that individuals with high levels of negative urgency (e.g., those with a propensity to act rashly while experiencing negative affect) should experience the urge to engage in NSSI during negative affect states. However, previous research has not directly tested these predictions. This study used a daily diary methodology in a sample of individuals who engaged in NSSI in the last year. Participants completed self-report measures of trait impulsivity and subsequently made daily ratings of negative affect, sadness, guilt, and urge to engage in NSSI for 14 days. Our results indicated that for individuals high in negative urgency, daily sadness, but not guilt or general negative affect, was a positive predictor of urge to engage in NSSI. Meanwhile, for those low in negative urgency, sadness was unrelated to NSSI urge. Implications for theories of NSSI and treatment are discussed.