ERIC Number: EJ1405000
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481
EISSN: EISSN-1940-3208
Available Date: N/A
A Preliminary Investigation of the Relationship between Internalized Stigma, Experiential Avoidance, and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in College Students
Maya Nauphal; Nicole D. Cardona; Vinushini Arunagiri; Erin F. Ward-Ciesielski
Journal of American College Health, v71 n8 p2309-2313 2023
Objective: Examine the relationship between internalized stigma, experiential avoidance (EA), and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in a sample of college students, and explore whether EA accounts for part of the relationship between internalized stigma, EA, and STBs. Participants: College students (N=78) completed online questionnaires about demographic information, internalized stigma, EA, and STBs. Results: A simple mediation model evaluated the indirect effect of internalized stigma on STBs through EA, controlling for the presence of a mental health disorder diagnosis. Results: Internalized stigma, STBs, and EA were all positively correlated. EA partially mediated the relationship between internalized stigma and STBs. Conclusion: Despite decades of research and prevention efforts, STBs remain a pervasive problem. There is an urgent need to identify modifiable predictors of STBs. Internalized stigma is a risk factor for STBs, and recent research suggests EA might be a mechanism linking internalized stigma and STBs. Our findings suggest EA might represent a modifiable mechanism of change in the context of both anti-stigmatization and suicide prevention programs.
Descriptors: Social Bias, Suicide, Psychological Patterns, College Students, Student Behavior, Mental Disorders, Correlation, Student Characteristics, Beliefs
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A