Gratitude and Suicide Risk Among College Students: Substantiating the Protective Benefits of Being Thankful
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2021
Description
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.
Citation Information
Kaniuka, Andrea R.; Kelliher Rabon, Jessica; Brooks, Byron D.; Sirois, Fuschia; Kleiman, Evan; and Hirsch, Jameson K.. 2021. Gratitude and Suicide Risk Among College Students: Substantiating the Protective Benefits of Being Thankful. Journal of American College Health. Vol.69(6). 660-667. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1705838 PMID: 31944902 ISSN: 0744-8481