Emotion Regulation and Depressive Symptoms Mediate the Association Between Schizotypal Personality Traits and Suicidality in Chinese College Students

Abstract

Objective

The psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality are not understood. This study investigated the association of schizotypal personality traits with suicidality and explored the mediating role of cognitive appraisal and depression in the relationship between those two variables in a sample of Chinese college students.

Method

Participants (N = 2457) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, and three questions related to suicidality.

Results

The cognitive reappraisal score was lower in the students with suicidality than the students without suicidality, whereas scores for depression and schizotypal personality traits were higher in the students with suicidality than the students without suicidality. Schizotypal personality traits and depression were risk factors for suicidality. Depression mediated the association between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality. Cognitive reappraisal negatively affected symptoms of depression and had a significant mediating effect on the association between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality.

Conclusions

Schizotypal personality traits and depression are risk factors for suicidality. Cognitive reappraisal and depression mediate the association between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality.

Keywords:

• Schizotypal personality traits
• suicidality
• emotion regulation
• depressive

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Science Fund (18YJC190004), Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (A201955), Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen (SZSM201612079), Shenzhen Key Medical Discipline Construction Fund (SZXK042).

Notes on contributors

Jingbo Gong

Jingbo Gong, Department of Applied Psychology, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China.

Yuqiong He

Yuqiong He, Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China.

Suhong Wang

Suhong Wang, Department of Neuroscience, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.

Jianbo Liu

Jianbo Liu, Department of Child Psychiatry of Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Institute of Mental Health, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Mental Health.