Acquired capability for suicide among Belgian and Australian University students: Psychometric properties of the German capability for suicide questionnaire and a test of the interpersonal theory of suicide

Background: Suicide is the third leading cause of death among college students. The interpersonal theory of suicide may provide a way to conceptualize suicide risk in this population. Aims: We sought to examine relations between illegal behaviors that may act as risk factors for suicide and the acquired capability for suicide. Method: College students (N = 758) completed assessments of acquired capability and previous exposure to painful and provocative events, including illegal risk behaviors (IRBs). Linear regression, a nonparametric bootstrapping procedure, and two-tailed partial correlations were employed to test our hypotheses. Results: There was no significant relation between IRBs and acquired capability after controlling for legal painful and provocative experiences. A significant positive relation was identified between IRBs and fear/anxiety, contradicting the expected relation between increased painful and provocative experiences and lower fear/anxiety. Acquired capability explained variance in the relation between IRBs and history of suicide attempt or self-injury history. Conclusion: Further research is needed to examine links between IRBs and painful and provocative events, particularly to identify the point at which habituation begins to increase acquired capability, as our unexpected results may be due to a lack of habituation to risky behaviors or low variability of scores in the sample.

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Moderating Role of Trait Hope in the Relation Between Painful and Provocative Events and Acquired Capability for Suicide

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000319 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 249-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sean M. Mitchell ◽

Kelly C. Cukrowicz ◽

Jason Van Allen ◽

Paige L. Seegan

Keyword(s):

Empirical Support ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Future Research ◽

Significant Relation ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Acquired Capability ◽

Individual Traits ◽

Trait Hope ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract. Background: The interpersonal theory of suicide has gained empirical support as a conceptualization of suicide risk; however, little research has examined the role of individual traits, such as trait hope, within the interpersonal theory of suicide. Aims: The purpose of this study was to further investigate the role of trait hope components (i.e., pathways and agency) in acquired capability for suicide. Method: Participants were 711 college students who completed measures of acquired capability for suicide, painful and provocative events, and trait hope (i.e., pathways and agency). Linear regression was used to test the hypotheses. Results: As hypothesized, there was a positive relation between pathways and acquired capability. Contrary to our hypotheses, after controlling for gender there was a significant relation between agency and acquired capability. In addition, after controlling for gender, pathways did not moderate the relation between painful and provocative events and acquired capability, whereas agency did moderate this relation. Conclusion: Painful and provocative events should be assessed as a risk factor for acquired capability for suicide, and this may be more salient for individuals higher in the agency component of trait hope. Future research should consider examining the role of other traits within the interpersonal theory of suicide.

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Testing Joiner's Theory of Suicide in Jail Inmates: An Exploratory Study

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/12.07.21.pr0.112.1.100-105 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 112 (1) ◽

pp. 100-105 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rupendra Simlot ◽

Kevin McFarland ◽

David Lester

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Behavior ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Jail Inmates ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Acquired Capability ◽

Self Harm

Thomas Joiner has proposed an interpersonal theory of suicide in which thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and an acquired capability to commit self-harm predict suicidal behavior. In an exploratory study, a questionnaire was administered to 38 jail inmates to test the applicability of this theory to these inmates. Only thwarted belongingness was associated with past suicidal behavior and the inmates' own prediction of the likelihood of future suicidal behavior.

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An Exploratory Analysis of Violent Offending and the Acquired Capability for Suicide in Male Prisoners

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology ◽

10.1177/0306624x17740558 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (11) ◽

pp. 3436-3446 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jon Mandracchia ◽

Ashley Sylvara ◽

Addie Wikowsky ◽

Kristen Tieman ◽

Phillip Smith

Keyword(s):

Health Care Providers ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Care Providers ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Acquired Capability ◽

Nonviolent Offenders ◽

Violent Offending ◽

The Spectator ◽

Violent Offenses ◽

Male Prisoners

Recently, the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide has offered some understanding as to why inmates are at a disproportionately high risk to die by suicide. The present study was designed to investigate how one aspect of the theory, the acquired capability for suicide, may differ between prison inmates with violent offenses versus those without. Data from 343 male prisoners within the Mississippi Department of Corrections were used to examine potential differences between these two groups on scales of the Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale. Contrary to the hypothesis that violent offenders would evidence higher levels of acquired capability, only the Spectator Enjoyment of Violence subscale was significantly different between the two groups, with nonviolent offenders producing higher scores. Potential explanations for these findings and implications for correctional mental health care providers are discussed.

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An exploratory analysis of the relations between the rate of physiological habituation, the acquired capability for suicide, and acute risk factors for suicide

Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research ◽

10.1108/jacpr-07-2014-0130 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 139-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Phillip N Smith ◽

Caitlin Wolford-Clevenger ◽

Candice N Selwyn ◽

Erin Poindexter ◽

William Lechner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Self Report ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Content Type ◽

Acquired Capability ◽

Suicide Risk Factors ◽

Risk Factors For Suicide

Purpose – The interpersonal theory of suicide proposes that an individual must acquire the capability for suicide to carry out a near-lethal or lethal suicide attempt. This capability develops via habituation in response to painful and provocative life events. Some individuals might be more vulnerable to developing the capability for suicide because they habituate more quickly to stimuli. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relations between the rate of physiological habituation and acquired capability, proxies for acquired capability, and acute risk factors for suicide. Design/methodology/approach – Depressed, suicidal individuals completed self-report assessments and a startle reflex task assessing the rate or speed of physiological habituation in response to repeated bursts of white noise. Findings – Slower habituation was associated with hopelessness and negative stressors. The rate of habituation was not associated with acquired capability. Originality/value – The current study informs the understanding of how physiological habituation is related to suicide risk factors.

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Testing the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide in a Sample of U.S. Air Force Members Who Died by Suicide

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e676252011-001 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel W. Cox ◽

Edwin H. Szeto ◽

Marjan Ghahramanlou-Holloway ◽

Kathryn A. Deyoung ◽

Christina Schendel

Keyword(s):

Air Force ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide

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Pet Attachment and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

10.31234/osf.io/p67bu ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Valerie Jane Douglas ◽

Mun Yee Kwan ◽

Kathryn H. Gordon

Keyword(s):

Suicide Risk ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Pet Ownership ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Attachment Avoidance ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Pet Attachment ◽

The Relationship

Objective: Pet ownership is often assumed to have mental health benefits, but the effect of pets on suicide risk has a scant literature. Method: Using the interpersonal theory of suicide, we examined the relationships between perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, overall attachment to one’s pet (quality of the relationship), pet attachment avoidance (distrustful of the relationship) or anxiety (afraid of abandonment), and suicide risk. Three hypotheses were investigated: 1) higher levels of attachment would be associated with lower suicide risk via lower levels of thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness, 2) lower levels of pet attachment would be associated with higher levels of suicide risk via attachment avoidance/attachment anxiety, and 3) attachment avoidance/anxiety would be associated with higher suicide risk via thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness. Undergraduates (N = 187) completed surveys and indirect effect analyses were utilized. Results: Higher overall attachment was associated with decreased attachment anxiety, which was associated with lower suicide risk. Attachment anxiety was correlated with increased suicide risk. Overall attachment, attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were not found to indirectly affect suicide risk. Conclusions: Findings suggest that pet ownership may provide both protective and deleterious effects in a nonclinical sample.

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Interpersonal Predictors of Suicide Ideation and Attempt Among Early Adolescents

Professional School Counseling ◽

10.1177/2156759x211018653 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 2156759X2110186

Author(s):

Emily Sallee ◽

Kok-Mun Ng ◽

Abraham Cazares-Cervantes

Keyword(s):

School Counselors ◽

Logistic Model ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Adolescent Suicide ◽

Early Adolescents ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

School Settings ◽

Logistic Regressions ◽

Shed Light

Despite the growing epidemic of suicide ideation and attempt in adolescents, there is a lack of theory-based, empirical research to shed light on these issues in this population and inform school counselors’ preventive and responsive practices. We utilized Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) to examine the extent to which the interpersonal constructs of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness predicted adolescent suicide ideation and attempt by conducting two binomial logistic regressions on archival data from the 2017 eighth-grade Oregon Healthy Teens Survey. Six of the seven selected proxy items were statistically significant in each logistic model, with slight variance between the two. Our findings suggest that the interpersonal constructs of the IPTS are applicable to early adolescents and may be used to inform suicide prevention and intervention efforts among this population in school settings.

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Psychological Morbidity among University Students in Hong Kong (2014–2018): Psychometric Properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and Related Correlates

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168305 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8305

Author(s):

Xiang Li ◽

Daniel T. L. Shek ◽

Esther Y. W. Shek

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Hong Kong ◽

University Students ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Youth Development ◽

Positive Youth Development ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Factor Model ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Morbidity

Although mental health problems among Hong Kong university students are serious, there is a lack of studies examining the psychometric properties of related assessment scales and correlates. This study attempted to validate the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) in Hong Kong university students and examine the demographic (gender), time (cohort), and well-being correlates (positive youth development attributes and life satisfaction) of psychological morbidity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structure of the DASS (n = 6704). Gender and cohort invariance were further established using a multigroup CFA. The three-factor model of the DASS showed a superior fit and factorial invariance across gender and five different cohorts. Regarding gender and cohort correlates of psychological morbidity, males exhibited more depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms than their female counterparts. The intensity of psychological distress also escalated after the Umbrella Movement in 2014. Furthermore, well-being measures (positive youth development and life satisfaction) were negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. In short, the Chinese DASS demonstrated good psychometric properties. This study also showed that gender, cohort (occurrence of political events), and well-being were associated with psychological morbidity indexed by the DASS measures.

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