Suicide‐related interpersonal needs of young Iranian people: A preliminary validation of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness constructs

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to validate the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ‐15) and to test its reliability in Persian‐speaking Iranian undergraduate students. In this cross‐sectional study, 485 undergraduate students (age: 20.66 ± 1.42, 60% female) were assessed on the two subscales of perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB) and the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire‐Revised (SBQ‐R). Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) confirmed the construct validity of INQ‐14, excluding INQ#9. In addition, INQ#8, articulated in an equivalent Persian phrasing, loaded well on TB. The measurement model tested by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested INQ#11 to be eliminated, resulting in INQ‐13‐P to consist of PB and TB‐7. The internal consistency and convergent/discriminant validity were established. The concurrent validity of PB was solidly established in terms of past year suicidal ideation (PY‐SI) above and beyond anxiety, depression, prior suicidality, and TB‐7. The effect of PB on PY‐SI was stronger, where prior suicidality had already occurred or the perceived likelihood of future suicide (PLFS) was high. Moreover, TB‐7 could only indicate PY‐SI, where prior suicidality had already occurred or PLFS was high, albeit when PB was omitted. The interaction term was significant; however, beyond anxiety and depression, the effect of TB‐7 on PY‐SI was significant where PB was very high (n = 40, 8.25%). Therefore, future studies can utilize INQ‐13‐P as a valid and reliable instrument in Persian‐speaking populations. However, further studies should examine the construct validity of TB and its relationship with suicide ideation in different populations.

Perceived Burdensomeness, Thwarted Belongingness, and Social Exclusion in Transgender Women: Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire

“…This model had six indicators for the perceived burdensomeness dimension, six indicators for the thwarted belongingness dimension, and three indicators for the social exclusion dimension. This was notably deviated from most previous findings that the INQ had only two dimensions of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness ( Amini-Tehrani et al, 2021 ; Iliceto et al, 2021 ). However, a study investigating the construct validity of the INQ among clinically depressed and suicidal youth extracted a third factor from the TB factor and named it “perceived isolation” ( Hunt et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The 15-item INQ, adapted from the original 25-item INQ, was designed to measure suicide-related interpersonal needs ( Van Orden et al, 2012 ). The two-factor measurement model of the INQ-15 has been validated in several previous research, which measures two dimensions: perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness ( Amini-Tehrani et al, 2021 ; Iliceto et al, 2021 ). In the INQ-15, each item is assessed on a 7-point Likert scale from “not true for me at all” to “very true for me.” Total score of the INQ-15 is between 0 and 105, with higher scores indicate severer unmet interpersonal needs.…”

Psychometric evaluation of the interpersonal needs questionnaire in the Indonesian language

“…Moreover, PB is a mediator between anxiety and psychological distress with suicidal ideation [15,16]. Similar to PB, TB is also correlated with anxiety [17]. In more depth, both emotional regulation and PB, as well as TB, is observed as key mechanism underlying suicide risk [18].…”