Citation

Brailovskaia J, Ujma M, Friedrich S, Teismann T. Crisis 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-5.

Affiliation

Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000596

PMID

31066311

Abstract

Background: Bullying has regularly been shown to be associated with suicide ideation. However, so far, only a few studies have examined the mechanisms underlying the relationship between bullying and suicide ideation within a theory of suicide. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness mediate the association between bullying and suicide ideation. Method: A total of 267 outpatients (63.3% female; Mage = 37.52, SDage = 12.80) completed online measures of bullying, suicide ideation, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness. Results: Thwarted belongingness as well as perceived burdensomeness fully mediated the association between bullying and suicide ideation – controlling for gender and age. Limitations: Given the cross-sectional nature of the data, only hypothetical conclusions on causality can be drawn. Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesized and theory-derived relations between bullying, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicide ideation. In anti-bullying programs it seems to be of particular importance to counter impressions of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness.

Keywords: suicide ideation, bullying, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness

Julia Brailovskaia
, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center
, Department of Psychology
, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
, Massenbergstr. 9–13
, 44787 Bochum
, Germany
, julia.brailovskaia@rub.de

Language: en

Keywords

bullying; perceived burdensomeness; suicide ideation; thwarted belongingness