Transition from Depression to Suicidal Attempt in Young Adults: The Mediation Effect of Self-Esteem and Interpersonal Needs

Background: Depression increases the risk of suicide. Depression and suicide attempts are significantly impacted by low self-esteem and interpersonal needs (i.e., thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB)). More research is required to clarify how these factors affected the change from depression to suicidal attempts, which would dramatically lower the suicide fatality rate. We sought to examine the mediating roles of self-esteem, TB, and PB in Chinese young adults, since previous research shows that self-esteem has a strong relationship with TB, while TB and PB have strong relationships with suicide attempts. Methods: Measures on depression, interpersonal needs, and attempted suicide were completed by a sample of 247 Chinese social media users who had stated suicidal ideation online. Results: The findings showed that people who attempted suicide had significantly higher levels of TB and PB. Suicidal attempts were also impacted by depression via the mediational chains, which included self-esteem, TB, and PB. Conclusions: Our findings might contribute to the expansion of the interpersonal theory of suicide and have an impact on effective suicide prevention.