Psychological abuse and suicidal behaviors among female college students with dating experience: A moderated mediation model

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicide are two major public health problems among youth. Psychological abuse, as one of the most common forms of IPV, is considered an important risk factor for suicidal behaviors. However, the potential mechanisms underlying this relationship were understudied. This study is part of a large-scale health-related cohort among Chinese college students. In the current study, 1968 female college students with dating experience were screened out as eligible participants who completed questionnaires on psychological abuse, depressive symptoms, distress intolerance (DI), and suicidal behaviors. The current study found that 40.5% of female college students experienced at least one form of psychological abuse. After controlling the demographic variables, psychological abuse was positively associated with suicidal risk. Mediation analysis indicated that depressive symptoms partially mediated the association between psychological abuse and suicidal behaviors. Tests of moderated mediation revealed that DI moderated the second part of the mediation process. Specifically, the association between depressive symptoms and suicidal risk was more substantial for individuals with higher DI than lower DI. These findings may be important and helpful for developing targeted interventions to reduce the suicidal risk for those who have experienced IPV.