Citation

Jung M, Park Y, Baik SY, Kim CL, Kim HS, Lee SH. Psychiatry Investig. 2019; 16(2): 121-129.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Inje University College of Medicine, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Korean Neuropsychiatric Association)

DOI

10.30773/pi.2018.11.12.1

PMID

30808118

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Not all depressive individuals are suicidal. An increasing body of studies has examined forgiveness, especially self-forgiveness, as a protective factor of suicide based on that suicide is often accompanied by negative self-perceptions. However, less has been studied on how different subtypes of forgiveness (i.e., forgiveness-of-self, forgiveness-of-others and forgiveness-of-situations) could alleviate the effects of depression on suicide. Hence, this study examined forgiveness as a moderator of depression and suicidality.

METHODS: 305 participants, consisted of 87 males and 218 females, were included in the study. The mean age was 41.05 (SD: 14.48; range: 19-80). Depression, anxiety, and forgiveness were measured through self-report questionnaires, and suicidal risk was measured through a structuralized interview. Moderations were examined through hierarchical regression analyses.

RESULTS: Depression positively correlated with suicidality.

RESULTS: of the hierarchical regression analysis indicated forgiveness as a moderator of depression on suicidality. Further analysis indicated only forgiveness-of-self as a significant moderator; the effects of forgiveness-of-others and forgiveness-of-situation were not significant.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that forgiveness-of-self is essential in reducing of the effects of depression on suicidality. It is suggested that self-acceptance and the promotion of self-forgiveness should be considered as an important factor when developing suicide prevention strategies.

Language: en

Keywords

Depression; Forgiveness-of-others; Forgiveness-of-self; Forgiveness-of-situation; Suicidality