Self/other Perception Mediates Between Personality and Suicidal Ideation in Young Adults

Background and Objectives: Individual differences in vulnerability to suicidal ideation have been recently addressed to internal working models of attachment. However, to date, research has mainly focused on adolescents. Few studies have investigated the role of adult attachment and personality dimensions in suicidal ideation, either examined from a mediational perspective. In this study, we aimed at testing a theoretical model in which Self/other perception mediates between personality and suicidal ideation in young adults. Methods: Dimensions of Attachment (self/other perception), Personality (the Big Five factor model), and Suicidal Ideation (hopelessness and depression) were assessed in a community sample of 319 young adults from Northern Italy. Structural Equation Modeling and mediation analysis were conducted. Controlling for demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, education, and job), we tested three structural models. Results: The final model confirmed our hypothesis that self/other perception mediates between personality (high neuroticism and low extraversion) and suicidal ideation, providing excellent fit to data. Conclusions: In line with the conceptual framework of the Attachment Theory, findings suggest that failure to resolve attachment-related distress is related to the emergence of negative self/other models in adults. Such internal models are likely to attenuate the association between neuroticism and extraversion with depressive symptoms, hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Received: 8 December 2013 Revised: 12 March 2014 Accepted: 18 March 2014 ATTACHMENT, PERSONALITY AND SUICIDAL IDEATION IN ADULTS 105