Abstract

Objective

Emotion regulation strategies and related constructs have been implicated both as risk and protective factors in a range of mental health outcomes among young adults. To expand upon this previous research, we examined comfort expressing four discrete emotions (i.e., love, happiness, sadness, and anger) as factors that protect against suicide ideation in young adults, within the context of the interpersonal theory of suicide.

Method

The sample consisted of 449 college students (73.1% female, 70.6% Hispanic, Mage = 20.5 years) taking part in a larger study of mood and well-being. Students were recruited from a psychology participant pool and completed self-report measures at a single time point for course credit. Comfort expressing emotions and suicide ideation were assessed using the Measure of Verbally Expressed Emotion (MoVEE) and Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ), respectively. Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were assessed using the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ).

Results

Preliminary analyses revealed negative associations between comfort expressing all four emotions and suicide ideation (rs = −.13 to −.26). Results from structural equation modeling supported indirect effects from comfort expressing happiness and sadness to suicide ideation, via perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. An indirect effect was also identified from comfort expressing love to suicide ideation, via thwarted belongingness.

Conclusions

Results suggest that comfort expressing emotions (particularly sadness and happiness) is a protective factor against suicide ideation for young adults. These findings suggest that suicide-prevention efforts may wish to focus on increasing comfort expressing emotions to trusted support networks as potential intervention targets.

• HIGHLIGHTS

• Comfort expressing emotions is negatively associated with suicide ideation.

• Comfort expressing emotions is associated with belongingness and burdensomeness.

• Comfort expressing emotions may be a potential target for suicide prevention.

中文翻译：

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表达情绪和自杀意念的舒适：通过感知的负担感和受挫的归属感间接影响的证据

摘要

客观的

情绪调节策略和相关结构被认为是年轻人一系列心理健康结果的风险和保护因素。为了扩展之前的研究，我们在人际自杀理论的背景下，检查了表达四种离散情绪（即爱、快乐、悲伤和愤怒）的舒适度，作为防止年轻人自杀意念的因素。

方法

样本由 449 名大学生（73.1% 女性，70.6% 西班牙裔，M年龄 = 20.5 岁）组成，他们参与了一项关于情绪和幸福感的更大规模研究。学生从心理学参与者池中招募，并在单个时间点完成自我报告测量以获得课程学分。分别使用口头表达情绪测量 (MoVEE) 和成人自杀意念问卷 (ASIQ) 评估表达情绪的舒适度和自杀意念。使用人际需求问卷 (INQ) 评估感知到的负担感和受挫的归属感。

结果

初步分析显示，表达所有四种情绪的舒适感与自杀意念之间存在负相关（r s = -.13 至 -.26）。结构方程模型的结果支持通过感知负担和受挫的归属感从表达幸福和悲伤的舒适到自杀意念的间接影响。通过受挫的归属感，还发现了从表达爱的舒适到自杀意念的间接影响。

结论

结果表明，表达情绪（尤其是悲伤和快乐）的舒适是年轻人预防自杀意念的保护因素。这些研究结果表明，预防自杀的努力可能希望专注于增加向可信赖的支持网络表达情绪的舒适度，作为潜在的干预目标。

• 强调

• 表达情绪的舒适与自杀意念呈负相关。

• 表达情绪的舒适与归属感和负担感有关。

• 表达情绪的舒适可能是预防自杀的潜在目标。