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Gratitude and Suicide Risk among College Students: Substantiating the Protective Benefits of Being Thankful
- Source :
-
Journal of American College Health . 2021 69(6):660-667. - Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Objective: Gratitude, or thankfulness for positive aspects of life, is related to psychosocial well-being and decreased psychopathology, and may reduce suicide risk. We explored four potential hypotheses purported to explain the beneficial outcomes of gratitude (schematic, positive affect, broaden-and-build, and coping), hypothesizing that hopelessness (schematic), depression (positive affect), social support (broaden-and-build), and substance use (coping) would mediate the gratitude-suicide linkage. Participants: 913 undergraduate students from a mid-size, southeastern U.S. university. Methods: Respondents completed online self-report questionnaires including the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, Gratitude Questionnaire, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Duke Social Support Index, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and Drug Abuse Screening Test. Results: Supporting theory and hypotheses, gratitude was related to less suicide risk via beneficial associations with hopelessness, depression, social support, and substance misuse. Conclusions: The linkage between gratitude and suicide risk appears to be predicated on the beneficial association of gratitude to negative mood and interpersonal functioning.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0744-8481
- Volume :
- 69
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Journal of American College Health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1310023
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1705838