Social-Cognitive Moderators of the Relationship between Peer Victimization and Suicidal Ideation among Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents

Abstract

Peer victimization among children and adolescents is a major public health concern, given its widespread individual and societal ramifications. Victims of peer aggression often face significant levels of psychological distress and social difficulties, such as depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and social rejection. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether cognitive distortions and perceptions of social support moderate the association between peer victimization and suicidal thoughts among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Participants included 183 psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents (ages 13–18). In multiple regression analyses that controlled for gender, social and cognitive factors served as significant resources factors. Cognitive factors also moderated the relationship between peer victimization and suicidal ideation.

Relationship between Suicidal Ideation and Cognitive Distortion Among Undergraduates

“…The obtained results were consistent to the findings of previous studies conducted by Fazakas-DeHoog et al (2017), Jager-Hyman et al 2014, and Wolff et al (2014), who proposed that cognitive distortion was significantly and positively related to suicidal ideation. This represented that individuals with cognitive distortions would be more likely to develop suicidal ideation.…”

“…Theoretically, cognitive distortion is the initial factor causing development of suicidal ideation. This was supported by the studies conducted by Fazakas-DeHoog et al 2017, Jager-Hyman et al 2014, and Wolff et al (2014), who proposed that cognitive distortion was significantly related to suicidal ideation. However, these findings were contradicted to the result of Khan et al (2014) who found that there was no significant relationship between cognitive distortion and suicidal ideation.…”

“…The psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents (n = 183) had been randomly selected as the samples. The finding proved that there was positive relationship between suicidal ideation with victimization and cognitive distortion, and negative relationship with perceived social support (Wolff et al, 2014). However, the selected samples were failed to representatively generalize the entire population as all samples were from similar ethnic group.…”

“…The acquired finding would not be sufficiently generalized the entire population as only small sample size from one racial group and gender was included in this study. Moreover, Wolff et al (2014) conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship among victimization, cognitive distortion (i.e. negative self-talk and cognitive errors), perceived social support, and suicidal ideation.…”

Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior in Children and Adolescents: An Ecological Model of Resilience

“…A total of four studies focused on factors related to an individual’s cognitive style. Less negative interpretations of oneself, the world, and the future buffered the link between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation (Chang, Lin, & Lin, 2007), while lower levels of negative self-talk and cognitive errors moderated the relationship between peer victimization and suicidal ideation (Wolff et al, 2014), However, although the latter study found a buffering effect at both low and high levels of peer victimization, the buffering effect was greater at low levels of peer victimization. In contrast, Miller and Esposito-Smythers (2013) showed that neither cognitive errors nor the negative cognitive triad moderated the link between a history of child abuse and suicidal ideation.…”