Mental pain and suicidal ideation in nursing students: The moderating role of emotion regulation

Authors

Lawrence Okwuchukwu Amazue, Okechukwu Timothy Ozor, JohnBosco Chika Chukwuorji*, Chuka Mike Ifeagwazi, Desmond Uchechukwu Onu, Nneoma Gift Onyedire

Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 41000, Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between mental pain and suicide ideation, as well as whether mental health-suicide ideation association varies depending on the use of two emotion regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Self-report measures of suicide ideation, mental pain and emotion regulation were completed by 473 Nigerian nursing students. Analyses showed that mental pain was positively associated with suicide ideation. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively related to suicide ideation and expressive suppression was positively related to suicide ideation. Tests of moderation hypotheses indicated that high cognitive reappraisal attenuates the positive relationship between mental pain and suicide ideation, while high expressive suppression potentiates the positive relationship between mental pain and suicide ideation. Findings suggest that behavioral interventions that target adopting healthy emotion regulation skills and proper management of emotional distress may reduce suicide ideation, underscoring the relevance of preventive mental health in nursing education/training and nursing practice.

Keywords: emotion regulation, mental pain, suicide ideation, moderation, nursing

PAGES:171-191

doi:10.24193/cbb.2019.23.10

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