Emotion Reactivity and Suicide Ideation Among Chinese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Serial Mediation Model

Abstract

Objective

Previous studies have indicated that emotion reactivity is an important predictive factor for suicide ideation. However, the mechanism underlying their association has remained largely unexplored. The current study aims to investigate a serial mediation model to examine the potential mechanism in the relationship between emotion reactivity and suicide ideation.

Method

A total of 5,423 Chinese adolescents (52.7% females, M_age = 14.63 years, SD = 1.25) completed self-report questionnaires regarding emotion reactivity, suicide ideation, distress intolerance, and depressive symptoms. Assessment was conducted for two waves, 6 months apart.

Results

In descriptive analyses, the prevalence of suicide ideation in this study was 15.3% for Wave 1 and 14.3% for Wave 2. Emotion reactivity, distress intolerance, and depressive symptoms were positively related to suicide ideation. In serial mediation analyses, there was a significant total effect of emotion reactivity on suicide ideation. After controlling for baseline variables, distress intolerance and depressive symptoms played serial mediating roles in the relation between emotion reactivity and suicide ideation, with emotion reactivity influencing suicide ideation through three mediation pathways.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a potential mechanism underlying the path from emotion reactivity to suicide ideation. Interventions that target emotion reactivity may be an effective way to reduce the risk of developing suicide ideation.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Emotion reactivity was positively related to suicide ideation.

• Distress intolerance and depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between emotion reactivity and suicide ideation.

• Emotion reactivity also exerted an influence on suicide ideation through serial mediation of distress intolerance and depressive symptoms, after controlling for baseline variables.