The escape theory of suicide and perfectionism in college students

Abstract

A preliminary model of the escape theory of suicide was tested in 168 college students (52 males, 116 females), who completed self-report measures of self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism, negative life stress, depression, hopelessness, anxiety, reasons for living, and suicidal behaviors. A path analysis provided only partial validation for the model and accounted for 26% of the variance in suicidal behaviors. None of the three dimensions of perfectionism significantly accounted for any additional variance in suicidal behaviors above and beyond the other variables used in the study. Socially prescribed perfectionism was the only dimension of perfectionism that showed a statistically significant bivariate correlation with suicidal behaviors. The path analysis indicated that this correlation was an indirect effect through reasons for living. Depression was a better predictor of suicidal behaviors than hopelessness. Perhaps one reason for these equivocal results was the limited amount of variability in suicidal behaviors in this nonclinical sample.

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