title: Self-report depressive symptoms do not directly predict suicidality in nonclinical individuals: Contributions toward a more psychosocial approach to suicide risk.
abstract: Although suicidality is associated with mental illness in general and depression in particular, many depressed individuals do not attempt suicide and some individuals who attempt to or do die by suicide do not present depressive symptoms. This article aims to contribute to a more psychosocial approach to understanding suicide risk in nonclinical populations. In advocating a psychosocial perspective rather than a depression-focused approach, this article presents four diverse studies that demonstrate sampling and measurement invariance in findings across different populations and specific measures. Study 1 tests the mediation effects of 2 interpersonal variables, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, in the association between depressive symptoms and recent suicidality. Studies 2 and 3 evaluate the contribution of hopelessness and psychache, beyond depressive symptoms, to suicidality. Study 4 tests the contribution of life events behind depressive symptoms, and other relevant sociodemographic and clinical variables, to the estimation of "future suicidality." Overall, results demonstrate that depressive symptoms do not directly predict suicidality in nonclinical individuals, but that other psychosocial variables mediate the association between depressive symptoms and suicidality or predict suicidality when statistically controlling for depressive symptoms. The article contributes to understanding some of the nonpsychopathological factors that potentially link depressive symptoms to suicide risk and that might themselves contribute to suicidality, even when controlling for depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Psicologia, Escola de Ciências Sociais e Centro de Investigação em Educação e Psicologia , University of Évora , Évora , Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Queen's University , Kingston , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.affiliation: c Departamento de Psicologia, Escola de Ciências Sociais , University of Évora , Évora , Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laranjeira
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Queen's University , Kingston , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Talia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Troister
authors.affiliation: c Departamento de Psicologia, Escola de Ciências Sociais , University of Évora , Évora , Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: c Departamento de Psicologia, Escola de Ciências Sociais , University of Évora , Évora , Portugal.
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: c Departamento de Psicologia, Escola de Ciências Sociais , University of Évora , Évora , Portugal.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: c Departamento de Psicologia, Escola de Ciências Sociais , University of Évora , Évora , Portugal.
authors.forename: Natália
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fresca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention