Is individualism suicidogenic? Findings from a multi-national study of young adults from 12 countries
Date
2020-04-03
Authors
Eskin, Mehmet
Tran, Ulrich S.
Carta, Mauro Giovanni
Poyrazli, Senel
Flood, Chris
Mechri, Anwar
Shaheen, Amira
Janghorbani, Mohsen
Khader, Yousef
Yoshimasu, Kouichi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
The associations of individualistic versus collectivistic value orientations with suicidal
ideation and attempts, attitudes towards suicide and towards suicidal individuals, and
psychological distress were investigated across 12 nations (N = 5572 university students).
We expected differential associations of value orientations with suicidal behavior and
moderating effects of the prevailing value orientations in the various countries. Findings
showed that intermediate levels of individualism appeared protective against suicide
attempts across all investigated nations, but that, otherwise, there seemingly are no
universal associations of individualism and collectivism with suicidal behaviors. High
collectivism was associated with less suicidal ideation only in individualistic countries.
Low individualism appeared to be a risk factor for suicidal ideation specifically in Muslim
collectivistic cultures, whereas high individualism in Asian collectivistic cultures.
Collectivistic values are uniformly associated with less permissive attitudes to suicide,
whereas individualistic values with a more stigmatized view of suicidal behavior. Both
individualistic and collectivistic values were associated with socially accepting attitudes to
a suicidal peer, helping a suicidal friend, and emotional involvement. The associations of
individualistic and collectivistic values with disapproving attitudes to suicidal disclosure were complex. Beliefs in punishment after death for suicide, seeing suicide as mental
illness, and emotional involvement with a suicidal friend were lower in high-suicide-rate
countries. These evidence patterns are discussed in the light of related research evidence,
along with directions for future research in this area.
Description
Keywords
suicidal behaviour , attitudes , psychological distress , individualism , collectivism , multination study
Citation
Eskin M, Tran US, Carta MG, Poyrazli S, Flood C, Mechri A, Shaheen A, Janghorbani M, Khader Y, Yoshimasu K, Sun J-M, Kujan O, Abuidhail J, Aidoudi K, Bakhshi S, Harlak H, Moro MF, Phillips L, Hamdan M, Abuderman A, Tsuno K and Voracek M (2020) Is Individualism Suicidogenic? Findings From a Multinational Study of Young Adults From 12 Countries. Front. Psychiatry 11:259. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00259