The perceived stress from interpersonal relations and suicidal behavior in freshmen: moderating roles of meaning in life and intolerance of uncertainty / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To examine the roles of the threat to self-moderator (intolerance of uncertainty) and the motivational moderator (meaning in life) in the relationship between triggering variables (thwarted belongingness and fear of negative evaluation) and outcome variables (suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior) based on the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior.Methods:A total of 1 325 university freshmen were investigated with the thwarted belongingness questionnaire, the brief fear of negative evaluation scale, the intolerance of uncertainty scale, the meaning in life questionnaire, the positive and negative suicide ideation inventory and the suicidal behaviors questionnaire-revised.SPSS 24.0 software was used for descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, and moderating effect analysis. AMOS 20.0 software was used for mediating effect analysis. Results:(1) Female students had more fear of negative evaluation than males ((41.89±9.96), (40.31±10.68), t=2.03, P<0.05). Students from rural areas experienced more thwarted belongingness than students from urban areas ((23.83±8.87), (22.49±9.17), t=2.51, P<0.05). (2) Thwarted belongingness, fear of negative evaluation, and intolerance of uncertainty were positively related to suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior ( r=0.24-0.59, all P<0.001), while meaning in life was negatively related to suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior ( r=-0.43, r=-0.22, both P<0.001). (3) Suicidal ideation mediated the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal behavior ( β=0.34, P<0.001) and mediated the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and suicidal behavior ( β=0.11, P<0.001). (4) Compared to the students with lower levels of intolerance of uncertainty, for those who had higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty, thwarted belongingness had a stronger predictive power on suicidal ideation ( β=0.27, P<0.001; β=0.41, P<0.001) and fear of negative evaluation also had a stronger predictive power on suicidal ideation ( β=0.08, P<0.001; β=0.14, P<0.001). Compared to the students with lower levels of meaning in life, for those who had higher levels of meaning in life, fear of negative evaluation had a weaker predictive power on suicidal ideation ( β=0.20, P<0.001; β=0.12, P<0.001). Conclusion:This study provides empirical evidence to the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior. Results indicate that effects of perceived stress from interpersonal relations on suicidal ideation are moderated by meaning in life and intolerance of uncertainty. Reducing the perceived stress from interpersonal relations, lessening the level of intolerable of uncertainty, and carrying out intervention programs aiming at meaning in life are potential intervention ways to reduce the suicide risks of university freshmen.