Systematic Review of the Indirect Relationships of Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness in Suicide

Joiner’s Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) considers the interpersonal variables of low social belonging and the perception of being a burden on others as drivers of suicidal ideation. This study has sought to review the empirical evidence on this prediction. In all, 40 studies were found. The findings report a major mediator and moderator role of perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB) in the relationship between the propensity toward suicide and psychological, social, and environmental factors. As the theory predicts, expecting to find that the interaction of both of these variables would be more closely linked to suicidal ideation, this does not appear to have been fully supported, generally finding a greater significance when they were integrated into separate models. It seems that attributing other forms of relationship with suicide for the variables identified by Joiner would provide IPTS with greater empirical support.