Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Among College Students: A Latent Class Analysis

Abstract

This study explored emerging typologies of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors and how they relate to known psychological and cognitive correlates. Latent class analysis was employed to identify subgroups of college students (n=626, mean age=20, 73% female, and 83% White) based on history of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. Differences among classes were tested to examine their associations with suicidal ideation, fearlessness of death, depression/hopelessness, thwarted belongingness, problems with alcohol or drugs, behavioral inhibition, and emotional control. Results of the latent class analysis supported a 3-class solution, with students classified as being likely to have (1) no history of any self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (78%); (2) a history of all self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (8%); or (3) a history of suicidal ideation, plan, and non-suicidal self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, but not suicide attempt (13%). Findings examining correlates of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors highlight the importance of fearlessness of death for distinguishing suicide attempters from nonattempters. Attention to mental health and suicide prevention initiatives should remain a critical priority across college campuses.

The Common Factors of Grit, Hope, and Optimism Differentially Influence Suicide Resilience

“…Items from the measure include statements such as "Sometimes I have thoughts of killing myself" and "I am having thoughts of suicide, but these thoughts are somewhat under my control". In a previous study that examined suicide risk among college students, the scale demonstrated good internal reliability (α = 0.89) [50]. The HDSQ-SS scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.98) in the current study.…”

Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidality: A Latent Class Analysis and Associations with Clinical Characteristics in an At-Risk Cohort

“…Researchers identified three classes in a sample of first-year undergraduates: an infrequent NSSI/not high risk for suicidal behavior group, a frequent NSSI/not high risk for suicidal behavior group, and a frequent NSSI/high risk for suicidal behavior group (Hamza & Willoughby, 2013 ). Results from an LCA in a college sample supported a 3-class solution as well, with students classified as being likely to have no history of any self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, a history of all self-injurious thoughts and behaviors measured, or a history of suicidal ideation, plan, and nonsuicidal self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, but not suicide attempt (Marraccini et al ( 2021 )). Notably, in all previous studies, individuals in the classes with the most frequent nonsuicidal self-injury and the highest levels of suicidality had the worst clinical outcomes.…”

Profiles of patients using emergency departments or hospitalized for suicidal behaviors

“…Person‐centered methods like latent class analysis (LCA) enable the systematic identification of distinct profiles for patients with suicidal behaviors. Yet, the few studies that assessed profiles for suicidal behaviors were conducted only among adolescents (Jiang et al, 2010; King et al, 2020; Tairi et al, 2018), young adults (Hamza & Willoughby, 2013; Marraccini, 2021) or military personnel (Allan et al, 2020; Skopp et al, 2016). Even fewer studies investigated profiles of patients who used ED (King et al, 2020) or were hospitalized (King et al, 2020; Rapeli & Botega, 2005; Tairi et al, 2018) for suicidal behaviors.…”

“…Even fewer studies investigated profiles of patients who used ED (King et al, 2020) or were hospitalized (King et al, 2020; Rapeli & Botega, 2005; Tairi et al, 2018) for suicidal behaviors. These studies produced profiles revealing higher rates of suicidal behaviors among women (Jiang et al, 2010; Marraccini, 2021; Xiao & Lindsey, 2021), sexual minority individuals (e.g., gays, lesbians) (Jiang et al, 2010; Xiao & Lindsey, 2021), and victims of prior physical or sexual abuse (Jiang et al, 2010; King et al, 2020). MD most often associated with a higher incidence of suicidal behaviors were depressive (Jiang et al, 2010; Marraccini, 2021; Rapeli & Botega, 2005), adjustment (Rapeli & Botega, 2005), mood (King et al, 2020; Tairi et al, 2018), and personality disorders (Tairi et al, 2018), and SRD (Allan et al, 2020; King et al, 2020; Marraccini, 2021).…”

“…These studies produced profiles revealing higher rates of suicidal behaviors among women (Jiang et al, 2010; Marraccini, 2021; Xiao & Lindsey, 2021), sexual minority individuals (e.g., gays, lesbians) (Jiang et al, 2010; Xiao & Lindsey, 2021), and victims of prior physical or sexual abuse (Jiang et al, 2010; King et al, 2020). MD most often associated with a higher incidence of suicidal behaviors were depressive (Jiang et al, 2010; Marraccini, 2021; Rapeli & Botega, 2005), adjustment (Rapeli & Botega, 2005), mood (King et al, 2020; Tairi et al, 2018), and personality disorders (Tairi et al, 2018), and SRD (Allan et al, 2020; King et al, 2020; Marraccini, 2021). Patient profiles have also revealed that individuals with increased occurrence of suicidal behaviors had higher odds of ED use (King et al, 2020), hospitalization (King et al, 2020), longer hospital stay (Rapeli & Botega, 2005), use of medications (King et al, 2020) and therapy (King et al, 2020).…”