The Influence of Negative Emotion and Self-Acceptance on Suicidal Ideation of Disabled College Students: The Mediating Effect of Hopelessness

Abstract

Background: Disabled college students are facing special life pressures and social challenges due to physical and psychological obstacles. Given such difficulties, they may experience a high level of negative emotion (NE) that aggravates their risk of suicidal ideation. As a positive psychological trait, self-acceptance is very important to promote the mental health of disabled college students and reduce their risk of committing suicide. A state of high-intensity hopelessness easily mediates the influence of the NE and self-acceptance of disabled college students.

Methods: A group questionnaire survey was conducted among 663 college students with disabilities across 16 universities from Zhejiang Province. These surveys involved the use of a self-acceptance questionnaire, NE questionnaire, suicidal ideation questionnaire, and the Beck hopelessness scale, and the mediating role of hopelessness in the influence of NE and self-acceptance on the suicidal ideation of disabled college students was tested.

Results: Self-acceptance had a significantly negative influence on suicidal ideation (P<0.01), while NE exerted a significantly positive influence (P<0.01). Hopelessness partially mediated the influence of NE on the suicidal ideation of disabled college students and exerted a masking effect on the influence of self-acceptance on suicidal ideation. Hopelessness was a key psychological mechanism that bonds NE and self-acceptance with suicidal ideation.

Conclusion: The mental health intervention measures for disabled college students should include self-acceptance strategies and skills for reducing these students’ NE to relieve their hopelessness and further reduce their risk of committing suicide.