Citation

Matel-Anderson DM, Bekhet AK, Garnier-Villarreal M. West. J. Nurs. Res. 2019; 41(1): 25-41.

Affiliation

1 Marquette University College of Nursing, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0193945918757988

PMID

29460692

Abstract

Suicide has been the second leading cause of death for 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States since 2011. The stress experienced by undergraduate college students has the potential to increase one's risk for suicide. Resilience theory was used as a theoretical framework to examine the interplay between risk and protective factors. A cross-sectional and correlational design was used to assess the mediating effects of positive thinking and/or social support on suicide resilience in 131 college students 18 to 24 years old who completed an online survey. The study found an indirect effect of self-esteem on suicide resilience through positive thinking and social support indicating that as self-esteem increases, positive thinking and social support also increase, which leads to an increase in resilience. The study also found a direct effect of self-esteem, positive thinking, and social support on suicide resilience. The findings inform the development of tailored interventions to build suicide resilience in college students.

Language: en

Keywords

college students; positive thinking; self-esteem; social support; suicide resilience