The Great Black Hope: Hope and Its Relation to Suicide Risk among African Americans

Abstract

Positive psychology has garnered considerable scholarly interest recently and has been suggested to hold promise in the application to suicide research and prevention; however, empirical research has lagged behind these suggestions. This is the first study to examine the relationship between hope and a specific theory of suicide in African Americans. It was hypothesized that (1) hope would negatively predict the interpersonal suicide risk factors of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness; and positively predict acquired capability to enact suicide; (2) hope would negatively predict suicidal ideation; and (3) the interpersonal suicide risk factors would predict suicidal ideation. Results were primarily as predicted. Implications for hope theory and Joiner's theory of suicidal behavior are discussed, as well as implications for clinical practice.

Factors Contributing to Parasuicide among Patients Aged 18 - 35 Admitted at a National Psychiatric Hospital, Zimbabwe

“…This is in line with a study that cited that highest rates of parasuicide in Europe were among adults 24 -34 years [6]. This implies that parasuicide increases with age from late teenager hood to middle adulthood as there is a myriad of issues including social responsibilities, relationships, employment and general societal expectations.…”

Working with LGBT individuals: Incorporating positive psychology into training and practice.

“…Evidence suggests that high proportions of LGBT individuals report having a history of suicidal ideation and/or attempts (Clements-Nolle, Marx, & Katz, 2006; King et al, 2008); however, research rarely considers the protective factors against suicidal behavior among LGBT individuals. According to Davidson, Wingate, Slish, and Rasmussen (2010), the character strength of hope may buffer against such risk factors for suicide as thwarted belongingness (i.e., not feeling connected to others) and perceived burdensomeness among Black adults. As previously mentioned, Cox and colleagues (2010) reported that LGB youth who had a LGB affiliation had less internalized homonegativity, and this research suggests that fostering LGB community (i.e., positive institutions) may influence such positive traits as courage and resiliency.…”

Perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and suicide ideation: Re-examination of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory in two samples

“…These include samples of young, middle-aged, and older adults (Christensen et al, 2013;Cukrowicz et al, 2013;Joiner et al, 2009;Van Orden et al, 2008), diverse ethnic samples (Davidson et al, 2010;O'Keefe et al, 2014;Wong et al, 2011), and psychiatric inpatients (Monteith et al, 2013). Conversely, several studies have failed to detect an interaction.…”