ORCID

0000-0001-8561-1289

Keywords

Suicide, suicidal desire, psychological pain, physical pain, hopelessness, college students

Abstract

Suicide is a leading cause of death, and suicidal thoughts are prevalent among emerging adults and undergraduate students. Still, many prominent risk factors remain understudied. Guided by the Three-Step Theory of Suicide (3ST), this study examined the roles of hopelessness, psychological pain, and physical pain in prediction of suicidal desire among undergraduate college students (N = 1,705) recruited from UCF’s SONA system and CloudResearch’s Connect platform. Participants completed an online, cross-sectional survey that included measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, hopelessness, psychological pain, physical pain, and other psychological variables of interest. Psychological pain and physical pain were tested as moderators of the association between hopelessness and suicidal desire. Separate analyses were conducted for biological males and females to explore how the 3ST operates in these sexes. For both males and females, psychological pain moderated the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal desire, such that greater levels of psychological pain strengthened the relationship. Physical pain did not moderate this association. Results highlight the importance of assessing psychological pain and hopelessness together when evaluating suicide risk among undergraduate students. Future research should continue to examine risk factors (e.g., psychological and physical pain) among populations who experience higher levels of physical pain.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Newins, Amie

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Identifier

DP0053092

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