ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN SUICIDE IDEATORS AND NON-IDEATORS

Abstract

Research has shown that college students have a high risk of engaging in suicidal behaviors. Gaining more information about the belief systems of students and the adaptive reasons for living, lacking in suicide ideators, may provide valuable information about these behaviors and ways to prevent them. This study examined reasons for living in male and female college student suicide ideators and non-ideators in order to identify adaptive reasons for living, lacking in suicide ideators. Mean scores of the Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL) subscales and total score were used. Each subject answered a demographic questionnaire, a suicide questionnaire and the RFL. Analyses of Variance revealed a main effect for ideation status with non-ideators scoring higher than ideators on Survival and Coping Beliefs, Responsibility to Friends, and on the RFL total score. A main effect for sex was found on Fear of Suicide and Responsibility to Family subscales with women scoring higher than men. Women did not describe themselves as suicide ideators more often than did men.