The role of emotional regulation in the relationship between traumatic exposure and suicide ideation among adolescents

Abstract

English: Globally, adolescents need to develop emotional regulation skills to manage ever burgeoning challenges. Rising incidence of suicidal behaviours and escalation in the environmental stressors of South African society further warrant adolescents’ development of appropriate management strategies with regard to their emotions. This study aimed to investigate the role of emotional reactivity, as an indicator of emotional regulation, in the relationship between traumatic exposure and suicide ideation among adolescents. A biographical questionnaire, the emotional reactivity sub-scale of the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA), the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire for Adolescents (SIQ-A), and the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ) were used to gather information from participants. The study was approached using a cross-sectional and correlation design. Results were analysed by means of an analysis of variance for the main effects between trauma exposure, emotional reactivity and suicide ideation as well as a moderated regression analysis to explore the moderating effect of emotional reactivity on the remaining variables. The results of the main effects were indicative of a significant and unique contribution by both trauma exposure and emotional reactivity to the variance in suicide ideation. The regression analysis, however, found that emotional reactivity does not have a moderating effect on the relationship between traumatic exposure and suicide ideation. Further research on stressful life experiences, emotional regulation and suicide ideation is recommended using alternative measurements for emotional regulation/dysregulation in future research.

Afrikaans: Adolessente wêreldwyd moet emosionele reguleringsvaardighede ontwikkel ten einde die toenemende uitdagings waarvoor hulle te staan kom, te bestuur. Die stygende voorkoms van selfmoordgedrag en die toename in omgewingstressors in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing is verdere redes waarom adolessente toepaslike bestuurstrategieë ten opsigte van hulle emosies moet ontwikkel. Hierdie studie poog om die rol van emosionele reaktiwiteit as aanduider van emosionele regulering te ondersoek, spesifiek in die verhouding tussen traumatiese blootstelling en selfmoordideasie onder adolessente. ’n Biografiese vraelys, die emosionele reaktiwiteitsubskaal van die Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA), die Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire for Adolescents (SIQ-A), en die Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ) is gebruik om inligting van deelnemers te werf. Die studie is benader volgens ’n deursnee- en korrelasionele ontwerp. Resultate is ontleed deur middel van ’n variansieontleding vir die vernaamste effekte tussen traumablootstelling, emosionele reaktiwiteit en selfmoordideasie, asook deur middel van ’n gemodereerde regressieontleding om die modererende effek van emosionele reaktiwiteit in die oorblywende veranderlikes te ondersoek. Die resultate van die vernaamste effekte het getoon dat traumablootstelling en emosionele reaktiwiteit ’n beduidende en unieke invloed op die variansie in selfmoordideasie het. Die regressieontleding het egter getoon dat emosionele reaktiwiteit nie ’n modererende effek op die verhouding tussen traumatiese blootstelling en selfmoordideasie het nie. Verdere navorsing op stresvolle lewenservaringe, emosionele regulering en selfmoordideasie word aanbeveel deur alternatiewe metings vir emosionele regulering/disregulering in toekomstige navorsing te gebruik.