Social support moderates the relationship between interpersonal trauma and suicidal behaviors among college students

Abstract

Objectives: Interpersonal trauma (IPT) and low social support are risk factors for suicidal behavior. The aim of the current study was to investigate social support as moderating the relationship between IPT and suicidal behavior among college students.

Participants

A racially diverse sample of 350 undergraduate students was utilized.

Methods

Participants completed online, self-report questionnaires on lifetime traumatic experiences, suicidal behaviors, and perceived social support.

Results

The experience of IPT was significantly associated with suicidal behavior (r_s =.29, p < .001), and social support significantly moderated this relationship, F(3, 343) = 36.85, p < .001, ΔR² = .02, p = .008. IPT survivors with greater levels of perceived social support reported less suicidal behavior compared to IPT survivors with low levels of perceived social support.

Conclusions

Suicide prevention efforts may be improved through the development of trauma-focused interventions devised to enhance perceptions of social support among college students experiencing IPT.

Keywords:

• Interpersonal trauma
• suicidal behavior
• social support

Acknowledgments

This study was part of Danielle Marie Restrepo’s dissertation conducted at La Salle University under the mentorship of Megan Spokas. The authors wish to thank Kelly McClure and Randy Fingerhut for their service on the dissertation committee, and Alessandra Pieraccini, Jennifer Holzman, Elizabeth Jeglic, and Jessica Hill for their assistance with participant recruitment.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the Unted States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of La Salle University.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by a La Salle University Research Grant.