title: The relationship between negative life events and suicidal behavior: moderating role of basic psychological needs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individuals who experience negative life events may be at increased risk for suicidal behavior. Intrapersonal characteristics, such as basic psychological needs, however, may buffer this association.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the potential moderating role of overall basic psychological needs, and the separate components of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, on the association between negative life events and suicidal behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our sample of 439 college students (311 females, 71%) completed the following self-report surveys: Life Events Scale, Basic Psychological Needs Scale, Beck Depression Inventory - II, and the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In support of our hypotheses, negative life events were associated with greater levels of suicidal ideation and attempts, and satisfaction of basic psychological needs, including autonomy, relatedness, and competence, significantly moderated this relationship, over and above the effects of the covariates of age, sex, and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suicidal behavior associated with the experience of negative life events is not inevitable. Therapeutically bolstering competence, autonomy, and relatedness may be an important suicide prevention strategy for individuals experiencing life stressors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Kristin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: Jameson K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hirsch
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult