Perseverative cognitions, negative valence systems, positive valence systems, social disconnection, and suicide: testing a mediator model among university students

Various studies have suggested that perseverative cognitions play an important role in the occurrence of suicide. However, the mediating mechanisms underlying the relationship between perseverative cognitions and suicidality remain largely unknown. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate whether positive and negative valence systems and social disconnection temporally mediated the association between perseverative cognitions and suicidal behaviors. 256 university students participated in this study. The data were collected using the Perseverative Cognitions Questionnaire (PCQ), Approach-Avoidance Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ), Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (SCS-R), and Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). The results showed that perseverative cognitions had a direct and significant effect on suicide (p <.001). Positive and negative valence systems and social disconnection significantly mediated the relationship between perseverative cognitions and suicide. Our findings showed that multiple factors including perseverative cognitions, positive and negative valence systems, and social disconnection may have a role in the occurrence of suicide among university students.