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Neuroticism confers vulnerability in response to experimentally induced feelings of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness: Implications for suicide risk
Author(s) -
Hartley Elise L.,
Stritzke Werner G. K.,
Page Andrew C.,
Blades Caroline A.,
Parentich Kylee T.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/jopy.12415
Subject(s) - neuroticism , belongingness , psychology , feeling , suicide prevention , vulnerability (computing) , poison control , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , social psychology , clinical psychology , personality , medical emergency , computer security , medicine , pathology , computer science
Objective This study investigated the role of individual differences in neuroticism in conferring increased reactivity to the interpersonal antecedents for suicide proposed by the interpersonal theory of suicide. Method Undergraduate students ( N = 113) were screened and selected to form high ( n = 58) and low ( n = 55) neuroticism groups, and an experimental computer task was used to manipulate participants’ experience of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. Participants’ self‐reported desire to persist in the face of this induced interpersonal adversity was measured. Results Results indicate that high neuroticism confers increased reactivity to the experimental induction of the interpersonal antecedents of suicidal ideation: Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. Furthermore, this vulnerability corresponds to a diminished desire to persist with the task in the face of interpersonal adversity. Conclusions Neuroticism confers vulnerability for suicidal desire via an increased reactivity to the proximal, causal risk factors proposed by the interpersonal theory of suicide. This has implications for considering how personality risk factors such as neuroticism may interact with proximal interpersonal risk factors to increase suicidal ideation.