Resilience to suicide ideation: A cross-cultural test of the buffering hypothesis

Depression and suicide ideation are common in student populations across the world. The present study investigated factors buffering the association between depression and suicide ideation. A total of 2,687 Chinese students and 601 German students took part in the investigation. Social support, satisfaction with life, self-efficacy, psychosocial stress resistance, and positive mental health were considered as resilience factors moderating the association between depressive symptoms and suicide ideation within both samples. Positive mental health moderated the impact of depressive symptoms on suicide ideation in German and Chinese students. Life satisfaction moderated the impact of depressive symptoms on suicide ideation in German students. Social support moderated the impact of depressive symptoms on suicide ideation in Chinese students. No interaction effects were found for self-efficacy and psychosocial stress resistance. Positive mental health, satisfaction with life, and perceived social support seem to confer resilience and should be taken into account, when assessing individuals for suicide risk.