The Mediating Roles of Hostility and Dissociation in the Relationship Between Sexual Assault and Suicidal Thinking in College Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1635-1653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristy M. Keefe ◽  
Melanie D. Hetzel-Riggin ◽  
Naoyuki Sunami

Sexual assault and suicide are two serious public health concerns. Research has documented the relationship between sexual assault and suicidal thinking and attempts; however, limited research explores the more multifaceted relationships between posttraumatic stress reactions and suicidal ideation in college students through unsuccessful modulation of emotion. The authors hypothesized a mediation model where the relationship between sexual assault and suicidal ideation is mediated by dissociation and hostility. In total, 1,677 undergraduate students were administered modified versions of the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ), Symptom Checklist–90–Revised (SCL-90-R), and Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ). The results revealed both significant partial but equal mediators of hostility and dissociation. However, a portion of the direct effect between sexual assault and suicidal ideation remained unaccounted for by indirect effects. The current model supports previous work on dialectical behavior therapy that says either side of the dialectic between extreme expression and suppression of hostility increases the likelihood of suicidal thinking after sexual assault. With sexual assault survivors, practitioners should use strategies that emphasize both anger expression and healthy avoidance as a way to modulate emotion to potentially reduce suicidal thoughts. Future research should focus on different gender models, additional possible mediators such as alcohol use and guilt, and different forms of sexual assault. Limitations of the correlational, cross-sectional methodology are discussed.

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaili Calasso ◽  
Carly Thompson-Memmer ◽  
Aaron J Kruse-Diehr ◽  
Tavis Glassman

The purpose of this study was to assess the extant literature on the relationship between alcohol and sexual assault among college students. A literature search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsycINFO, JSTOR, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Key search terms included sexual assault, alcohol, and college students. A total of 23 articles met inclusion criteria, the plurality (47.8%) of which were cross-sectional and featured convenience samples (43.5%). All studies were conducted at public higher education institutions in the United States. The most salient crosscutting themes included perceived low risk for sexual assault among female college students, higher likelihood of severe sexual assault among women who consumed more alcohol, and general information about polysubstance use and sexual assault risk. Methodological shortcomings included an overreliance on convenience sampling, lack of reporting of where samples were obtained, and single-site data collection. Given the large number of studies that found women who consume alcohol are more likely than their nondrinking counterparts to experience sexual assault, public health educators must continue to prioritize female college students who drink. However, interventions should target potential perpetrators rather than focusing solely on how victims can avoid risky situations. Future research should include diverse, random samples across multiple institutions topromote greater generalizability of findings.


2019 ◽  
pp. 003022281989235
Author(s):  
Chih-Che Lin

This study aimed at examining the roles of self-esteem and depression in the relationship between gratitude and suicidal ideation. A total of 814 Taiwanese college students ranging in age from 18 to 22 years completed measures of gratitude, self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation. Structural equation modeling showed partial mediation effects of self-esteem and depression between gratitude and suicidal ideation. Moreover, a multigroup analysis found that males with higher levels of self-esteem could protect themselves from depression more easily than their female counterparts. Implications for future research and limitations of the present findings are discussed.


Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Wolford-Clevenger ◽  
JoAnna Elmquist ◽  
Meagan Brem ◽  
Heather Zapor ◽  
Gregory L. Stuart

Abstract. Background: Victims of dating violence experience suicidal ideation at a higher rate than the general population. However, very few studies have examined the relationship between dating violence and suicidal ideation within an empirically supported theory of suicide. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide posits that thwarted interpersonal needs (i.e., thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness) are proximal antecedents to suicidal ideation. The experience of dating violence may thwart such interpersonal needs, thus increasing risk for suicidal ideation. Aims: We aimed to examine the relationships among dating violence, thwarted interpersonal needs, and suicidal ideation and test the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide. Method: We conducted two cross-sectional studies on college students in dating relationships to examine these research questions. Results: Study 1 indicated positive correlations among dating violence (i.e., physical and psychological), thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness. Study 2 generally replicated the bivariate relationships of Study 1 and demonstrated that, at high levels of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness was correlated with suicidal ideation, while accounting for the effects of depressive symptoms and drug use. Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of using theory-guided research to understand the relationship between dating violence and suicidal ideation.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Laura R. Umphrey ◽  
John C. Sherblom ◽  
Paulina Swiatkowski

Abstract. Background: Cultivating positive feelings of self in relationships with others can affect perceptions of belongingness and burdensomeness. Aims: The present study examines the relationships of self-compassion, hope, and emotional control to thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation. Method: Participants were 481 college students who completed scales measuring self-compassion, hope, emotional control, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation. Results: Correlation and parallel mediation analysis results show relationships between self-compassion, hope, and emotional control with perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and suicidal ideation. Limitations: The study is limited by its cross-sectional design, sample demographics, and inability to distinguish between individuals with suicidal ideation and those who attempt suicide. Conclusion: The results show that the relationships of self-compassion, hope, and emotional control to perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and suicidal ideation are worth further investigation.


Crisis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. DeCou ◽  
Stephanie P. Kaplan ◽  
Julie Spencer ◽  
Shannon M. Lynch

Abstract. Background and Aim: This study evaluated trauma-related shame as a mediator of the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Method: A total of 164 female undergraduates who reported attempted or completed sexual assault completed self-report measures of sexual assault, trauma-related shame, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. Results: Using path analysis, trauma-related shame mediated the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness, and between sexual assault severity and thwarted belongingness. Limitations: The findings of this study are limited by the retrospective, self-report, and cross-sectional nature of these data, and do not allow for causal inference. Conclusion: Trauma-related shame warrants additional investigation as a mechanism that explains the association between sexual assault and psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 973-989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karie Ruekert Kobiske ◽  
Abir K. Bekhet ◽  
Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal ◽  
Marilyn Frenn

More than 200,000 Americans are currently diagnosed with young-onset dementia (YOD). YOD is dementia diagnosed prior to the age of 65. Most persons of YOD are cared for by their partners. Using the theoretical framework of Resilience Theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined the moderating effects of personal and social resourcefulness on the relationship between predeath grief and perceived stress among 104 YOD caregiving partners (life partners/spouses) using an online survey platform. Results indicated a large positive correlation between predeath grief and caregiver perceived stress ( r = .65; p < .001). Together predeath grief, personal resourcefulness and social resourcefulness explained 51.5% of the variance in perceived stress. Personal resourcefulness did not moderate the relationship. Social resourcefulness did positively moderate this relationship between predeath grief and perceived stress. These findings allow for a better understanding of the caregiving experience for a partner with YOD and creates opportunities for future research studies.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suraj K. Patel ◽  
John Torous

The urgency to understand the long-term neuropsychiatric sequala of COVID-19, a part of the Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS), is expanding as millions of infected individuals experience new unexplained symptoms related to mood, anxiety, insomnia, headache, pain, and more. Much research on PACS involves cross sectional surveys which limits ability to understand the dynamic trajectory of this emerging phenomenon. In this secondary analysis, we analyzed data from a 4-week observational digital phenotyping study using the mindLAMP app for 695 college students with elevated stress who specified if they were exposed to COVID-19. Students also completed a biweekly survey of clinical assessments to obtain active data. Additionally, passive data streams like GPS, accelerometer, and screen state were extracted from phone sensors and through features the group built. Three hundred and eighty-second number participants successfully specified their COVID-19 exposure and completed the biweekly survey. From active smartphone data, we found significantly higher scores for the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for students reporting exposure to COVID-19 compared to those who were not (ps &lt; 0.05). Additionally, we found significantly decreased sleep duration as captured from the smartphone via passive data for the COVID-19 exposed group (p &lt; 0.05). No significant differences were detected for other surveys or passive sensors. Smartphones can capture both self-reported symptoms and behavioral changes related to PACS. Our results around changes in sleep highlight how digital phenotyping methods can be used in a scalable and accessible manner toward better capturing the evolving phenomena of PACS. The present study further provides a foundation for future research to implement improving digital phenotyping methods.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Douglas ◽  
Deirdre Williams ◽  
Shirley Reynolds

Background: Rumination predicts depression in adults and adolescents. The development of rumination has been linked to parenting practices, but only limited research has investigated this and research has tended to rely on self-report parenting measures. Aims: To investigate the relationship between female adolescent rumination and maternal modelling, criticism and positivity using an observational measure of parental behaviour. Method: A cross-sectional design was used. Daughters aged 16–18 years and their mothers (n = 154 dyads) completed questionnaire measures of rumination and affect. Mothers of girls with rumination scores in the upper and lower quartile (both n = 26) also completed the Five Minute Speech Sample, which was used to measure maternal criticism and positivity. Results: Mothers of low rumination girls made significantly more positive comments about their daughters than the mothers of high ruminators. Mothers made very few critical comments. Self-reported rumination was not correlated in mothers and daughters, suggesting a lack of support for the potential role of modelling. Conclusion: Overall, low maternal positivity was associated with rumination in female adolescents. There was no evidence that maternal rumination or criticism were associated with adolescent rumination. The results suggest a number of implications for future research, including the need for prospective longitudinal studies using observational parenting measures.


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