Self-concealment and suicidality: Mediating roles of unmet interpersonal needs and attitudes toward help-seeking

Objective We investigated the relationship between self-concealment-a tendency to hide distressing information-and suicidality, via two mediators: (a) unmet interpersonal needs and (b) help-seeking attitudes. Method A sample of young adults (18-25 years) was recruited online to complete a self-report survey questionnaire (n = 245). A parallel multiple mediation model was analyzed using the PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2013, Methodology in the social sciences. Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York, NY: Guilford Press) in SPSS. Results There was a significant positive relationship between self-concealment and suicidality. This relationship was partially mediated by unmet interpersonal needs. Although self-concealment was associated with more negative attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, these help-seeking attitudes were not significantly related to suicidality. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of interpersonal factors in suicide. Unmet interpersonal needs emerged as a mechanism by which self-concealment contributes to increased suicidality. We review implications for research, clinical practice, and prevention.