title: Forgiveness, depression, and suicidal behavior among a diverse sample of college students.
abstract: Depression and suicide are significant public health concerns for college-age young adults. Meaning-based characteristics, such as forgiveness, a voluntary coping process involving offering, feeling, or seeking a change from negative to positive cognitions, behaviors, and affect toward a transgressor, may buffer such poor mental health outcomes. Utilizing mediation analyses, we examined cross-sectional associations between forgiveness, depression, and suicidal behavior in a diverse student sample reporting mild to severe depressive symptoms. The effect of self-forgiveness on suicidal behavior was fully mediated by depression; self-forgiveness was associated with depression and, in turn, with suicidal behavior. Forgiveness of others was directly associated with suicidal behavior. Prospective research is needed, yet self and other-forgiveness may be appropriate targets for promotion in suicide prevention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department ofPsychology, East Tennessee State University, 420 Rogers Stout Hall, Box 70649, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.hirsch@etsu.edu
authors.forename: Jameson K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Jon R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Jeglic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D015987:Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D061347:Forgiveness / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention