Metacognitive Beliefs and Suicide Risk: The Mediating Role of Cognitive-Emotional Regulation Strategies among Students in HEIs in Pakistan

The present study aims to explore the indirect effects of CERS (adaptive & maladaptive skills) on the association between metacognitive beliefs and suicide proneness among students from HEIs in Pakistan. The sample comprised university students with a mean age of 21.5 years recruited from different HEIs in Pakistan using a convenient sampling technique. To assess variables, Wells’ Metacognitive Questionnaire (MCQ-30), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short and Life Attitudes Schedule- Short (LAS) were used in the Urdu language. Findings indicate that metacognitive beliefs predict the adaptive CERS, maladaptive CERS and suicide proneness. Findings show that adaptive CERS fully mediate the association between metacognitive beliefs and suicide proneness. Furthermore, maladaptive CERS fully mediate the association between metacognitive beliefs and suicide proneness. This study concludes that CERS significantly influence suicidal risk experiences among university students. Specifically, adaptive coping strategies appear to mitigate suicide risk, whereas maladaptive coping strategies tend to exacerbate it. Designing and implementing evidence-based indigenous prevention interventions would help youth address mental health and suicide risk and improve their well-being.