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Objective The integrated motivational–volitional model of suicide proposes that feelings of entrapment play a key role in the development of suicidal ideation. The model also posits a set of motivational moderators which either facilitate or hinder the development of suicidal thinking when entrapment is present. These motivational moderators include factors such as attitudes, future goals, thwarted belongingness, and social support. Two previously studied protective factors against suicide, reasons for living and life meaning, have received support in suicidology and might serve as motivational moderators in this model. Methods The current cross‐sectional study included college students (N=195) oversampled for recent suicidal ideation who took a series of self‐report questionnaires online. Results Our findings demonstrated that both reasons for living and life meaning are protective against the relation between entrapment and suicidal ideation, especially when presence of life meaning and reasons for living of high. Search for life meaning was found demonstrated a less protective relation with SI severity, particularly when reasons for living were low. Conclusion Both motivational moderators demonstrated protective relationships with suicidal ideation and may be relevant to suicide prevention strategies. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Background:The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) has been extensively studied but explanatory mechanisms remain inconclusive. Entrapment is one variable that evinces a mechanistic relationship with PTSD and STB. The current study examined the indirect effect of PTSD screen on suicide ideation (SI), planning, and likelihood of future suicide attempt through internal (IE) and external entrapment (EE), moderated by levels of fearlessness about death (FAD). Method:The cross-sectional sample consisted of military service members and civilians recruited from primary care clinics across the United States (N = 2690).Results: Moderated mediation models indicated an indirect relationship between a positive PTSD screen, past-month SI, and past-month suicide planning through IE but not EE at low, moderate, and high levels of FAD. These relationships were replicated for the association between positive PTSD screen and concurrent self-rated likelihood of a future suicide attempt through both IE and EE at moderate and high levels of FAD.Conclusions: Phenomenological implications are discussed, including IE as a mechanism of action in the PTSD/SI pathway and FAD as necessary to potentiate suicidal planning for those experiencing IE.

Objective/Background: A clear link between insomnia concerns and suicidal ideation has been shown in a variety of populations. These investigations failed to use a theoretical lens in understanding this relationship. Research within the veteran population has demonstrated that feelings of thwarted belongingness (TB), but not perceived burdensomeness (PB), mediate the insomnia and suicidal ideation relationship. Using two high risk samples, the present investigation replicated and extended this line of inquiry to include interpersonal hopelessness about TB, a key component of the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide.Methods/Results/Conclusions: Using medical record review and survey data, study 1 replicated the finding that TB is a stronger explanatory factor of the insomnia to suicidal ideation/suicide risk relationship in a sample of N=200 treatment-seeking active-duty personnel. Study 2 found that insomnia symptoms had an indirect effect on suicidal ideation through TB and PB but not interpersonal hopelessness in a sample of N=151 college students with a history of suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors. TB was the only mediator of the insomnia-suicide attempt likelihood link and insomnia to clinically significant suicide risk screening status. Limitations include cross-sectional design of both studies and the lack of formal diagnoses of insomnia. Implications and future research directions are discussed.