The relation of self-compassion and anger control dimensions with suicide ideation in university students

Abstract

Background: Suicide ideation is one of the strongest risk factors for completed suicide. There have been many reports of significant increases in suicide and suicide attempts in university students. Objectives: This study was performed to determine the relationship of self-compassion and anger control dimensions with suicide ideation. Patients and Methods: The method of this study was descriptive and correlation. The statistical population comprised students of Mohaghegh Ardabili university in the second semester of the 2012 - 2013 school year. One hundred and fifty subjects were selected from this population by random multistage clustering. They were asked to answer questionnaires about suicide ideation, self-compassion, and multidimensional anger. The collected data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression tests. Results: The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient tests showed that suicide ideation was negatively correlated with self-compassion (r = -0.19; P < 0.05) and mindfulness components (r = -0.20; P < 0.05), but it was positively correlated with self-judgment (r = 0.39; P < 0.001), isolation (r = 0.28; P < 0.004), over-identification (r = 0.49; P < 0.001), anger arousal (r = 0.39; P < 0.001), anger-provoking situations (r = 0.24; P < 0.001), hostile outlook (r = 0.32; P < 0.001) and anger (r = 0.45; P < 0.001). The regression analysis results also showed that 24% of the variance of suicide ideation can be explained by self-compassion and 24% by anger-control dimensions. Conclusions: Based on the results, improving self-compassion and anger-control skills are suggested as ways to decrease suicide ideation.