Self-Criticism, Neediness, and Distress in the Prediction of Suicide Ideation: Results from Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to test whether the maladaptive personality traits of self-criticism and neediness predict suicide ideation when controlling for general distress. Further, potential interactive effects on suicide ideation of the two traits and distress were also evaluated. Two studies with nonclinical samples were conducted. The first investigation was cross-sectional and involved a final sample of 202 community adults while the second study was longitudinal with a final sample of 207 college students. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that self-criticism, but not neediness, associated with suicide ideation and, in doing so, also interacted with distress. Neediness also tended to interact with self-criticism in the prediction of suicide ideation. Results from Study 2 were similar and confirmed the Study 1 results. Changes in self-criticism, but not changes in neediness, predicted changes in suicide ideation after statistically controlling for changes in distress. Changes in the interaction between self-criticism and distress predicted changes in suicide ideation and changes in the interaction between self-criticism and neediness tended to predict changes in suicide ideation. Results are discussed with regard to their implications for psychological intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Cross-sectional study
• distress
• interactions
• longitudinal study
• neediness
• suicide ideation
• self-criticism

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all research participants in this study and all the research assistants that helped in the collection of data of study one.

Author Notes

Rui C. Campos is a professor at the Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora, Portugal. He is also a clinical psychologist by the Portuguese Psychologists Board and a researcher in the Research Centre for Education and Psychology (CIEP-UE).Ronald R. Holden is a registered clinical psychologist in Ontario, Canada and a professor of psychology at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. His research interests are in suicide, scale construction, and test dissimulation.Cristina Beleizão is Master in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora.Berta Ca¸ador is also Master in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora.Ana Sofia Fragata is also Master in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora.

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially supported by Centro de Investigação em Educação e Psicologia—CIEP-UE with founds from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia—Ref. “UID/CED/04312/2016.”