Interpersonal psychological needs as mediators linking abusive supervision and concurrent suicidal ideation:...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Mental Health
• Academic Supervision

Background:

• Graduate student suicides are linked to poor student-teacher relationships.
• Abusive supervision is a significant stressor for graduate students.
• Interpersonal psychological needs may play a role in suicidal ideation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the concurrent influence of abusive supervision on suicidal ideation among graduate students.
• To examine the mediating roles of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in this relationship.

Main Methods:

• A diary study involving 105 graduate students experiencing abusive supervision.
• 12 time-point self-report surveys assessing daily abusive supervision, psychological needs, and suicidal ideation.
• 1,074 valid responses analyzed using parallel-process latent growth modeling and mediation analysis.

Main Results:

• Suicidal ideation paralleled abusive supervision in both initial levels and growth rates.
• Initial levels of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness mediated the link between abusive supervision and suicidal ideation.
• The growth rate of perceived burdensomeness showed marginal mediation between abusive supervision growth and suicidal ideation.

Conclusions:

• Daily abusive supervision significantly predicts concurrent suicidal ideation.
• Perceived burdensomeness mediates the relationship between abusive supervision and suicidal ideation.
• Fostering supportive supervisory relationships and addressing psychological needs are crucial for mitigating adverse mental health outcomes.