Transition from Depression to Suicidal Attempt in Young Adults: The Mediation Effect of Self-Esteem and Interpersonal Needs

Abstract

Background: Depression increases the risk of suicide. Depression and suicide attempts are significantly impacted by low self-esteem and interpersonal needs (i.e., thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB)). More research is required to clarify how these factors affected the change from depression to suicidal attempts, which would dramatically lower the suicide fatality rate. We sought to examine the mediating roles of self-esteem, TB, and PB in Chinese young adults, since previous research shows that self-esteem has a strong relationship with TB, while TB and PB have strong relationships with suicide attempts. Methods: Measures on depression, interpersonal needs, and attempted suicide were completed by a sample of 247 Chinese social media users who had stated suicidal ideation online. Results: The findings showed that people who attempted suicide had significantly higher levels of TB and PB. Suicidal attempts were also impacted by depression via the mediational chains, which included self-esteem, TB, and PB. Conclusions: Our findings might contribute to the expansion of the interpersonal theory of suicide and have an impact on effective suicide prevention.

Gender differences in prevalence and associations between cognitive symptoms and suicidal ideation in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder: findings from the Chinese NSSD study

“…Neurobiological studies have revealed altered brain activity in decision-making regions among adults with a history of suicidal behaviors [ 38 ]. Psychological factors such as negative self-perception, self-doubt, and rumination can further exacerbate indecisiveness and its link to SI [ 39 , 40 ]. Impaired interpersonal relationships also showed a significant correlation with SI, consistent with the interpersonal theory of suicide which suggests that persistent SI is often accompanied by unmet interpersonal needs, including high levels of thwarted belongingness (feeling like a burden to others) and perceived burdensomeness (feeling alienated from others) [ 41 , 42 ].…”

The effects of short video app-guided loving-kindness meditation on college students’ mindfulness, self-compassion, positive psychological capital, and suicide ideation

“…Based on the data of the World Health Organization, more than 700,000 individuals die of suicide each year worldwide. Suicide has become the fourth main cause of death among people aged 15–29, especially among college students (Liu et al, 2022f ). Suicidal ideation is an early psychological activity of suicide.…”

“…It refers to death, suicide, and serious self-harm in an individual’s thoughts or thoughts, including thoughts about plans, steps, and results of suicide (Zortea et al, 2020 ). Compared with traditional media, the Internet and social networking sites that are spread described that suicide and suicide knowledge provides more opportunities, according to a study of Chinese students, suicidal ideation and suicide-related highly relevant social media use behavior, including suicide information, reviews, and forward to commit suicide, or talk about suicide-related content (Liu et al, 2022a , 2022b , 2022c , 2022d , 2022e , 2022f ). Although the vast majority of suicidal ideations do not lead to actual suicidal actions, suicidal ideation is still considered a necessary condition for suicide and attempted suicide.…”

“…Positive psychological capital enhances an individual’s psychological resilience. When faced with life’s stresses and setbacks, those with a high level of positive psychological capital are more likely to persevere, seek solutions to problems, and refrain from choosing suicide as an option (Liu et al, 2022a , 2022b , 2022c , 2022d , 2022e , 2022f ). Their optimistic outlook and sense of hope can serve as powerful motivators to overcome adversity.…”

“…LKM, a method of work that concentrates on blessing oneself and others in the mind, has the effect of generating positive emotions and fostering positive attitudes (Chen et al, 2021a , 2021b ; Liu et al, 2020a , 2020b , 2020c , 2022a , 2022b , 2022c , 2022d , 2022e , 2022f ). As for the function and effect of LKM, several intervention strategies based on LKM have been developed in the academic circle, mainly focusing on two aspects positive attitude and positive emotion.…”