Mental Health Symptomatology and Exposure to Non-Fatal Suicidal Behavior: Factors That Predict Vulnerability and Resilience Among College Students

Abstract

Despite efforts to identify risk factors following exposure to completed suicide, research has paid less attention to the associations between exposure to non-fatal suicide behavior (NFSB) and mental health symptomatology—factors that may underlie one’s susceptibility to future suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This study examined differences in mental health symptomatology among 192 college students exposed to NFSB and 202 exposed to general stressors. Results indicated that students exposed to NFSB had significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to those exposed to a variety of other stressors but not NFSB. Furthermore, among those exposed, a number of risk and protective factors emerged in relation to psychological sequelae, such as emotional stability, social support, and the quality of the relationship between the exposed and suicidal individual. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing provisions of support for those exposed to NFSB.

Keywords:

• college student
• non-fatal suicidal behavior
• risk factor
• stressor

Notes

¹NFSB includes suicidal ideation, suicidal plans, and suicide attempts (Nock et al., 2008).

²To our knowledge, there has only been one study that showed a true “copycat” effect: when a how-to book was published on suicide, a significant spike in suicides by the prescribed method occurred; among 25% of the suicides, the book was found in the apartment or home of the decedent (Marzuk et al., 1993).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jamison S. Bottomley

Jamison S. Bottomley, Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Seth Abrutyn

Seth Abrutyn, Department of Sociology, University of British Columbia.

Melissa A. Smigelsky

Melissa A. Smigelsky, Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Robert A. Neimeyer

Robert A. Neimeyer, Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.