Psychosocial competencies and reasons for living in young adults: implications for suicide prevention from a social determinants of health perspective

Introduction: Suicide prevention research has predominantly focused on risk factors, while psychosocial resources that may serve as protective factors have received less attention. From the perspective of social determinants of health, examining such resources may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of mental health. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between psychosocial competencies and reasons for living among young adults, taking into account selected socio-demographic and family factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2025 among 546 young adults aged 18-35 in Poland. Reasons for living were assessed using the Reasons for Living Scale (RFL-48), including six subscales. Psychosocial competencies were evaluated across four domains: interpersonal skills, self-awareness, decision-making, and coping with stress. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed, with socio-demographic and family variables entered in the first block and psychosocial competencies in the second. Results: Psychosocial competencies were significantly associated with reasons for living after controlling for socio-demographic and family factors. Self-awareness showed the strongest association with the overall reasons for living score and with survival and coping beliefs. Coping with stress was associated with survival and coping beliefs and with fear of suicide. Interpersonal skills and self-awareness were associated with fear of social disapproval, while self-awareness and decision-making were related to responsibility toward family. Conclusion: Psychosocial competencies are associated with various dimensions of reasons for living among young adults, partly independently of socio-demographic and family factors. These findings indicate that psychosocial competencies may be considered as relevant resources in the context of mental health and suicide prevention.