Loneliness and Suicidal Ideation in Drug‐Using College Students

Dorian A. Lamis; Elizabeth D. Ballard; Amee B. Patel

doi:10.1111/sltb.12095

journal article Apr 22, 2014

Loneliness and Suicidal Ideation in Drug‐Using College Students

Dorian A. Lamis Elizabeth D. Ballard

Amee B. Patel

Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior Vol. 44 No. 6 pp. 629-640 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/sltb.12095

Abstract

The college years are marked by social changes and behavioral experimentation which may increase risk of suicidal ideation. We propose a novel pathway for the development of suicidal thoughts between two established suicide risk factors, loneliness and drug use, which have not been examined in a nonclinical sample. Data were collected from 207 undergraduate drug‐using students at a large southeastern university. As hypothesized, suicidal ideation was positively correlated with both loneliness (r = .40) and drug use (r = .29). After controlling for several demographic variables, social desirability, and anxiety sensitivity, drug use was tested as a potential mediator in the loneliness–suicidal ideation link using a single‐mediator model. Results indicated a significant indirect (mediated) effect of loneliness on suicidal ideation via drug use (ab = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02–0.18), suggesting that loneliness may contribute to suicidal ideation through increased drug use among college students. Identification of and intervention with students reporting loneliness and drug use may be a promising suicide prevention strategy on college campuses.

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Details

Published: Apr 22, 2014
Vol/Issue: 44(6)
Pages: 629-640
License: View

Authors

D

Dorian A. Lamis

Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA USA

E

Elizabeth D. Ballard

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore, MD USA

A

Amee B. Patel

G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Jackson, MS USA; South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) Jackson, MS USA

Cite This Article

Dorian A. Lamis, Elizabeth D. Ballard, Amee B. Patel (2014). Loneliness and Suicidal Ideation in Drug‐Using College Students. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 44(6), 629-640. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12095

Loneliness and Suicidal Ideation in Drug‐Using College Students

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