Gratitude and patience moderate meaning struggles and suicidal risk in a cross‐sectional study of inpatients at a Christian psychiatric hospital

Objective Suicidal behavior is a leading cause of injury and death, so research identifying protective factors is essential. Research suggests gratitude and life hardships patience are character strengths that might protect against the deleterious association of struggles with ultimate meaning and s...

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Published in:Journal of personality 2021-12, Vol.89 (6), p.1191-1205
Main Authors: Schnitker, Sarah A., Currier, Joseph M., Abernethy, Alexis D., Witvliet, Charlotte vanOyen, Foster, Joshua D., Root Luna, Lindsey M., VanHarn, Karl, Carter, Janet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Christians
Cross-Sectional Studies
Gratitude
Health problems
Hospitalized
Hospitals, Psychiatric
Humans
Injuries
Inpatient care
inpatient psychiatric treatment
Inpatients
Meaning
meaning struggles
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental health
Patience
Protective factors
Risk Factors
spiritual struggles
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide
Suicide - psychology
Suicides & suicide attempts
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Summary:Objective Suicidal behavior is a leading cause of injury and death, so research identifying protective factors is essential. Research suggests gratitude and life hardships patience are character strengths that might protect against the deleterious association of struggles with ultimate meaning and suicide risk. However, no studies have evaluated their utility among people experiencing acute/severe mental health concerns. Method We tested the protective function of gratitude and life hardships patience with cross‐sectional data from adults (Mage = 31.83 years; SD = 14.84; range = 18–82) hospitalized in a Christian psychiatric inpatient facility (Mstay = 6.37 days, SD = 4.64). Results Gratitude and life hardships patience moderated the positive relation between meaning struggles and suicide risk. Specifically, gratitude and life hardships patience protected against meaning struggles as a risk factor for suicide through mechanisms separate from ameliorating depressive symptoms. Conclusions Findings provide initial support for gratitude and patience interventions as an adjunct to standard psychiatric treatment for minimizing suicide risk.
ISSN:0022-3506
1467-6494
DOI:10.1111/jopy.12644