The moderating effects of coping and self-esteem on the relationship between defeat, entrapment and suicidality in a sample of prisoners at high risk of suicide.
BACKGROUND
Research is sparse which examines pathways to suicide, and resilience to suicide, in people who are particularly vulnerable to suicide, for example, prison inmates. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which perceptions of self-esteem and coping ability interacted with defeat and entrapment to both amplify suicidal thoughts and feelings, and to act as a buffer against suicidal thoughts and feelings.


METHODS
Participants were 65 male prisoners at high risk of suicide. A cross-sectional questionnaire design was used. Questionnaire measures of depression, defeat, entrapment, self-esteem, coping ability and suicidal probability were administered.


RESULTS
For the hopelessness component of the suicide probability measure, high levels of coping ability together with low levels of defeat resulted in the lowest levels of suicidality indicative of a resilience factor. In contrast, low levels of coping skills together with high levels of entrapment were a high risk factor for this hopelessness component of suicide. This pattern of results pertained when controlling for depression levels.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to examine interactions between defeat, entrapment and appraisals of self-esteem and coping ability. Therapeutic interventions would benefit from boosting perceptions and appraisals of coping ability, in particular, in people who are at high risk for suicide.
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, UK. Electronic address: patricia.gooding@manchester.ac.uk.
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P
Gooding
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK.
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N
Tarrier
Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, UK.
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G
Dunn
Manchester Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, UK; Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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J
Shaw
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, UK.
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Y
Awenat
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, UK.
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F
Ulph
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, UK; Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust, Manchester, UK.
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D
Pratt
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
Coping skills; Defeat; Entrapment; Mental illness; Prisoners; Suicide