title: Cross-cultural relevance of the Interpersonal Theory of suicide across Korean and U.S. undergraduate students.
abstract: This study investigated the cross-cultural relevance and validity of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (ITS) utilizing young adult samples from South Korea (n =554) and the United States (U.S.; n =390). To examine the ITS, all participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Capability for Suicide. We examined whether each construct significantly predicted the severity of suicidal risk in both samples. We also determined whether the strength of the effects of Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness on suicidal ideation differed between the two samples due to the greater degree of importance placed on interpersonal relationships in collectivistic cultures such as South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to examine these hypotheses. Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Capability for Suicide significantly predicted elevated suicidal risk. However, there were no significant differences in the paths from Thwarted Belongingness or Perceived Burdensomeness to suicide risk between the South Korean and U.S.
  
  
  
  These findings support the cross-cultural relevance and applicability of the ITS, whereby Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness serve as indicators of suicide risk in both Western (U.S.) and East Asian (Korean) samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sooyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Duksung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chad K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ebesutani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hagan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Melanie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hom
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Fallon B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Ringer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bernert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Soohyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA. Electronic address: tjoiner@fsu.edu.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Joiner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Capability for suicide; Perceived burdensomeness; South Korea; Structural equation modeling; Suicidal ideation; Suicide risk; Thwarted belongingness