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Negative Mood Regulation Expectancies, Affect and Suicidal Ideation: A Moderated Mediation Analysis
Anabel Söhlemann1,2, Karen Wetherall2, Rory C O'Connor2
1Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
The Psychiatric Quarterly
|June 6, 2026
Summary
Beliefs in regulating negative mood, or negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE), can protect against suicidal thoughts. Higher NMRE weakens the link between stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health Research
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Suicidal ideation is a significant public health concern.
- Understanding modifiable factors is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
- Negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE) are linked to negative affect and suicidal ideation, but underlying mechanisms require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between NMRE and current suicidal ideation.
- To investigate whether NMRE moderate the relationship between stress and suicidal ideation.
- To determine if NMRE buffer the impact of stress on depressive symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from 1546 adults in Scotland.
- Self-reported measures of demographics, stress, NMRE, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation were used.
- A moderated mediation model was employed to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- Depressive symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between stress and suicidal ideation.
- NMRE significantly moderated this indirect relationship, weakening its effect as NMRE increased.
- Higher NMRE were associated with a reduced impact of stress on both depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.
Conclusions:
- NMRE play a crucial role in the relationship between stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation.
- Strengthening individuals' beliefs in their ability to regulate negative mood may serve as a protective factor against suicidal ideation.
- Interventions aimed at enhancing NMRE could be a valuable component of suicide prevention strategies.
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