ABC's of Suicidology: The Role of Affect in Suicidal Behaviors and Cognitions

 
 
 
 

ABC's of Suicidology: The Role of Affect in Suicidal Behaviors and Cognitions

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dc.contributor.advisor Scheel, Karen R. en_US
dc.contributor.author Yamokoski, Cynthia A. en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2008-07-07T02:18:15Z
dc.date.available 2008-07-07T02:18:15Z
dc.date.created 2006 en_US
dc.date.issued 2008-07-07T02:18:15Z
dc.identifier.uri http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1153425387 en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/3814
dc.description The study of affect and cognition has been important in understanding suicide; however, the research and literature historically have placed more emphasis upon cognitive factors. Clearly, cognitive processes play a significant role in suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but it is also important to increase the focus on affect. There is support for the role of affect and the fact that cognition and affect combine with one another to impact suicidal behaviors. These findings may be advanced through the application of a theoretical model of affect in order to gain insight into the manner in which cognition and affect specifically relate to one another to impact suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Other goals of the current study were to examine the relationship between affect and cognition in suicidal individuals, to determine if different patterns of affect exist for different subtypes of suicidal individuals (i.e., no suicidality, suicidal ideation only, suicidal behaviors), and to assess the unique role of affect in relation to cognition. Participants in this study (n = 104) completed a series of questionnaires to measure suicidal thoughts and behaviors, hopelessness and affect. Results supported the hypothesis that positive affect and negative affect were related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and it was found that negative affect plays a more important role. Statistical analyses did not support the hypothesis that there were different patterns of affect for the various forms of suicidal behaviors, but visual analysis of graphs offered preliminary support for some unique patterns. An additional result of this study was that affect accounted for a significant amount of the variance in suicidal ideation, but not suicidal behaviors, above the cognitive variable of hopelessness. This means that it is important to study both cognitive and affect variables in order to gain more understanding about suicidal ideation. Some implications of this study are that therapists may gain more information about suicidal thoughts and behaviors if they assess both positive and negative affect, and it is possible that incorporating affect may enhance treatment outcomes. Follow up research is required to test these implications. In conclusion, affect is important to study in relationship to suicide, and it may provide additional information not gleaned from the more customary focus upon cognition in the suicide literature. en_US
dc.format application/pdf en_US
dc.format 176p. en_US
dc.rights unrestricted en_US
dc.rights Copyright and permissions information available at the source archive en_US
dc.subject suicide en_US
dc.subject affect en_US
dc.subject circumplex model en_US
dc.title ABC's of Suicidology: The Role of Affect in Suicidal Behaviors and Cognitions en_US
dc.type Electronic Thesis or Dissertation en_US
dc.degree.name PhD en_US
dc.degree.level doctoral en_US
dc.degree.discipline Counseling Psychology en_US
dc.degree.grantor University of Akron en_US
dc.contributor.publisher University of Akron / OhioLINK en_US

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