Entrapment and suicidal ideation: The protective roles of presence of life meaning and reasons for living

Abstract

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.

A qualitative assessment and short‐term mediation analysis of defeat, entrapment, and suicide

“…We developed this study to address these specific aims given the transdiagnostic value of the constructs of defeat and entrapment, and the potential implications for a public or population health view of suicide prevention. Broadly, and in line with previous research (Branley-Bell et al, 2019;Moscardini et al, 2022;O'Connor et al, 2013), we found support for the importance of defeat and entrapment in the prediction of suicide risk over time. Currently, measurement of defeat and entrapment generally involves the use of the original defeat and entrapment measures as proposed by Gilbert and Allan (1998), or shorter versions thereof (Griffiths et al, 2015).…”

Suicide risk and media consumption in the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia

“…These nuances allude to the type of entertainment program that the respondents acknowledged having consumed frequently or very frequently, watching programs that promoted or strengthened the spiritual lifewithin this episode of large-scale public health crisishelped to diffuse suicidal ideation by establishing, probably, a fundamental accompaniment and by giving reasons to live when facing a moment of high uncertainty. In this sense, programs with content that emphasized psychological and spiritual well-being are considered a protective factor, following the reasoning of Moscardini et al (2021) and Martínez & Robles (2016). But, of course, these programs are not isolated from other protective factors.…”

“…The findings obtained at the journalistic level, suggest that this COVID-19 pandemic possibly contributed to exacerbating the mood, hopelessness and risk of death that has been present in this violent context in Colombia. The reason for this can be supported by the copycat effect (Carmichael & Whitley, 2019), motivated by the lack of reasons or will to live (Moscardini et al, 2021) in a moment of generalized isolation and anxiety. Although it is important to point out that although psychological factors or problems, such as depression, are involved in suicidal ideation, as suggested by Barzilay & Apter (2014) and Nobile et al (2021), in our study age and physical and mental health did not influence the relationship between suicidal ideation and the receipt of information about human losses by suicide or as a consequence of the coronavirus.…”

“…Authors such as Moscardini et al (2021) emphasize that there are protective factors such as the social environment or reasons for living that can help mitigate suicidal ideation. On the other hand, the absence of these factors can increase this ideation.…”

Psychometric evaluation of the interpersonal needs questionnaire in the Indonesian language

“…There was also a significant negative correlation between total INQ-15 and total BRFL score, indicating that reasons to live such as moral values, responsibility to family, survival, and coping beliefs might reduce the risk of suicidal ideation in adolescents and young adults. Moscardini, et al stated that reasons for living acted as a protective factor for suicidal ideation, while thwarted interpersonal needs can increase suicidal ideation [54]. Therefore, reasons for living such as moral education, coping strategies, and family support might have a significant impact on preventing suicide.…”