The joint effects of loneliness and interpersonal abuse on suicidal thoughts and behaviors among young adults in higher education in the United States


Por: Hans Oh, Hajek A, Du J, Smith L, Leaune E and Jacob L.

Publicada: 30 jul 2025 Ahead of Print: 30 jul 2025
Resumen:
BackgroundLoneliness and interpersonal abuse are two factors that contribute to suicide risk, but studies exploring their interactions on suicidal thoughts and behaviors are lacking. Thus, our aim was to examine potential synergies between loneliness and interpersonal abuse among young adults in higher education.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Healthy Minds Study (2020-2021; N = 101,744) and used multivariable logistic regression models to show the interaction between loneliness (UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale) and interpersonal abuse (verbal, physical, and/or sexual) on suicidal thoughts and behaviors (suicidal ideation, suicide plans, suicide attempts), adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, depression, anxiety, and food insecurity.ResultsThose who only reported being lonely had significantly greater odds of suicidal ideation (aOR: 3.01; 95% CI: 2.72-3.33), and those who only reported interpersonal abuse also had greater odds (aOR: 2.97; 95% CI: 2.52-3.50), when compared to those who reported neither. However, those who endorsed both loneliness and interpersonal abuse had the greatest odds (aOR: 5.65; 95% CI: 5.09-6.27), exceeding the sum of these individual effects. A similar and more pronounced pattern emerged for suicide plans and suicide attempts.ConclusionA synergy exists between loneliness and interpersonal abuse in relation to suicidal thoughts and behaviors among young adults in higher education.

Filiaciones:
Hans Oh:
 Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

 University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

Hajek A:
 Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

Du J:
 Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, USA

Smith L:
 Centre for Health, Performance, and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK

Leaune E:
 Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France

 Research on Healthcare Performance RESHAPE, INSERM U1290, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France

Jacob L.:
 Université Paris Cité, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Lariboisière-Fernand Widal Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paris, 75010, France

 Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, 75010, France

 Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Dr. Antoni Pujadas, 42, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
ISSN: 20507283





BMC Psychology
Editorial
SPRINGERNATURE, CAMPUS, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND, Reino Unido
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 13 Número: 1
Páginas: 849-849
WOS Id: 001539974100001
ID de PubMed: 40739264
imagen Green Submitted, gold

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