Dimensionality of Suicide Behaviors: Results within Two Samples from Two Different Countries

Abstract

Across two countries and two languages, this research examined the multidimensional associations of suicide behaviors (i.e., life-time attempts, life-time communication of intent to others, life-time self-harming, life-time suicide notes, and current suicide ideation) and empirically relevant psychological risk factors (i.e., different facets of mental pain, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability), controlling for depressive symptoms. For the Portuguese sample, two underlying dimensions emerged: an ideation dimension and a behavioral dimension, and for the Canadian sample, three dimensions emerged: an ideation dimension and two behavioral dimensions that can be viewed as a splitting of the Portuguese second dimension. Results highlight possible cultural differences between the two countries and that suicide behaviors should be viewed as a multidimensional phenomenon not as a one-dimensional continuum.