The Mediational Role of Interpersonal Needs Factors between Personality Vulnerability and Suicide Ideation

• Main Authors: Huang, Huei-Sin, 黃惠欣
• Other Authors: Liu, Tung-Hsueh
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/7avq8f

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 臨床心理學系碩士班 === 107 === Background and Purpose: Suicide is an important public health issue. Suicidal ideation is an important basic element in the classification of suicidal behavior. It is also one of the most reliable predictors of subsequent suicidal behavior. The purpose of this study was to further explore the possible mechanisms of suicidal ideation in individuals. Blatt (1974) pointed out that two personality vulnerability factors of depression - Dependency and Self-Criticism - establish a path in the early life cycle to influence the integration of self-identity, and even create negative interpersonal relationships. As the initial establishment of the maladaptive modes continues for a long time, it may eventually lead to serious suicide problems. On the other hand, from the perspective of the proximal cause of suicidal ideation, the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) (Joiner, 2005) propose that when an individual experiences two specific psychological states in their minds simultaneously - Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness, it could cause an individual to develop the current suicidal ideation. According to the theory of personality vulnerability and interpersonal needs, this study aimed to explore interpersonal behaviors of different personality traits and to understand how they develop suicidal ideation through frustrated interpersonal needs. And attempted to establish and explain a mediation model of Dependency, Self-Criticism, Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness and suicidal ideation. In addition, this study attempted to verify the interaction prediction of IPTS on suicidal ideation in the Eastern culture sample. Method: Four-hundred and three students (145 males and 258 females) from universities in Taiwan participated in this study. The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Revised-Suicidal Ideation Scale and Beck Depression Inventory-II were employed. The data were examined by descriptive statistics, correlation, independent sample t test, hierarchical analysis and PROCESS. Results: The results indicated that: (1) Perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation of male college students are significantly higher than those of female college students. (2) The correlation among Dependency, Self-Criticism, Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness and suicidal ideation are positive. (3) The interaction of Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness predicts current suicidal ideation, even when other suicide risk factors (i.e., gender, age and depressive symptoms) are controlled for. And the effect is mainly from "Perceived Burdensomeness," but Thwarted Belongingness is not a significant predictor of suicidal ideation. (4) Perceived Burdensomeness not only mediates the relationship between Self-Criticism and suicidal ideation, but also accounts for the relationship between Dependency and suicidal ideation. Discussion: This study verifies the interaction prediction of IPTS on suicidal ideation in the Eastern culture sample, and identifies "Perceived Burdensomeness" as an important predictor of suicidal ideation. It is worth noting that personality vulnerability factors present the opposite path of suicidal ideation through satisfied or frustrated interpersonal needs. Individual with higher Dependency tend to exhibit lower level of frustrated interpersonal needs, and may develop lower level of suicidal ideation. However, individual with higher Self-Criticism tend to have higher level of frustrated interpersonal needs, which may lead to increased level of suicidal ideation. In addition, the implications of the present findings, suggestions for clinical practice, and possible research directions are discussed.