Family and peer support moderates the relationship between distress tolerance and suicide risk in black college students

Abstract

Objectives

The relationship between distress tolerance and suicide risk was examined in black college students, as well as the moderating role of family and peer support in this relationship. Parent and peer support were studied separately in their relationship to overall suicidality.

Method

One-hundred twenty-five Black undergraduate students completed self-report measures that assessed study variables.

Results

Using moderation analyses, distress tolerance was significantly associated with overall suicidality, such that increased tolerance was associated with decreased risk. Higher family support was significantly associated with decreased suicide risk, while peer support was not. However, both family and peer support significantly moderated the relationship between distress tolerance and suicide risk. For both types of support, the relationship between distress tolerance and suicide risk was significant when support was low.

Conclusions

Social support appears to be an important protective factor for suicide risk in black college students.

Keywords:

• Black-Americans
• distress tolerance
• social support
• suicide
• young adults

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 United States and received approval from the Western Kentucky University.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.