ABSTRACT

Gratitude, or attention to and appreciation of the positive, is related to psychological well-being and less psychopathology, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). However, to date, no published research has examined the gratitude-suicide relation among sexual minority (SM) adults (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual), a population at markedly greater risk for STBs. Further, the theoretical mechanisms underlying the impact of gratitude are understudied. The current study examined potential mechanisms that represent the four hypotheses (positive affect, schematic, coping, and broaden-and-build) that might explain the benefit of gratitude in relation to suicidal ideation (SI) among a sample of SM adults (N = 651). Less depressive symptoms (positive affect) and anticipated discrimination (schematic) and greater self-compassion (coping) and psychological flourishing (broaden-and-build) mediated the relation between gratitude and less SI. Therapeutic activities aimed at bolstering gratitude among SM individuals may have a beneficial effect on SI due to impact on psychopathology and psychological well-being.

摘要

感恩，或对积极事物的关注和欣赏，与心理健康和较少的精神病理学有关，包括自杀念头和行为 (STB)。然而，迄今为止，还没有已发表的研究调查过性少数 (SM) 成年人（例如，女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋）之间的感恩-自杀关系，这些人患 STB 的风险明显更高。此外，对感恩影响的理论机制还没有得到充分研究。当前的研究检查了代表四种假设（积极影响、图式、应对和扩大和构建）的潜在机制，这些假设可能解释了与 SM 成人样本（N= 651）。较少的抑郁症状（积极影响）和预期的歧视（示意图）以及较大的自我同情（应对）和心理繁荣（扩大和建立）调节了感恩与较少 SI 之间的关系。由于对精神病理学和心理健康的影响，旨在增强 SM 个体感激之情的治疗活动可能对 SI 产生有益影响。