A Structural Equation Model Of Personality Traits,Depression, Anxiety And Suicidal Ideation In Senior High Students

Objectives:This study was to examine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and the roles of depression and anxiety as mediators between personality traits and suicidal ideation in senior high students.Methods:The participants consisted of1577students from two senior high schools and completed the corresponding questionnaires assessing personality traits, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. We analyzed the demographic characteristics of the suicidal ideation group and the non-suicidal ideation group, and the differences of extroversion, nervousness, psychoticism, depression and anxiety between the two groups. We also employed the structural equation modeling to test a model in which posited the relationships among these variables and their effects on suicidal ideation.Results:1. The prevalence of suicidal ideation in senior high studentsA total of18.90%(298/1577) of the participants experienced suicidal ideation. The rate of suicidal ideation between boys and girls had no significant differences. The rate of the11th graders was higher significantly than that of the12th ones (p<0.01).The child without siblings was easier to have suicidal ideation than the students with siblings(p<0.05).2. The differences of personality traits, depression and anxiety between the suicidal ideation group and the non-suicidal ideation groupThe results showed that the scores of nervousness, psychoticism, depression and anxiety of the suicidal ideation group were higher significantly than those of the non-suicidal ideation group, and the scores of extroversion of the suicidal ideation group was lower significantly than those of the non-suicidal ideation group (p<0.05). In the total sample and the boy group, suicidal ideation was positively and significantly correlated with nervousness, psychoticism, depression and anxiety, and negatively and significantly correlated with extroversion. In the girl group, suicidal ideation was positively and significantly correlated with nervousness, psychoticism, depression and anxiety, but wasn’t significantly related to extroversion.3. The analyses of the structural equation modeling on personality traits, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.On bases of the previous literature, we took the personality traits as the exogenous variable, and depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation as endogenous variables. This model was fit well, x2/df=2.87, RMSEA=0.05, AGFI=0.97, GFI=0.99, NFI=0.97, IFI=0.98, CFI=0.98. Personality traits had direct effects on depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. The standardized factor loadings were-0.14,-0.39and-0.58, respectively. Depression affected directly depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Anxiety had no direct effects on suicidal ideation, but could affect suicidal ideation through depression. Depression and anxiety played partial mediating roles in the relationship of personality traits and suicidal ideation.4. The analyses of the structural equation modeling on personality traits, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in boysFor boys, the result indicated that the fit for the final modeling was well: x2/df=2.57, RMSEA=0.05, AGFI=0.97, GFI=0.99, NFI=0.97, IFI=0.98, CFI=0.98. Personality traits had direct effects on suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety. The standardized loading factors were-0.18、-0.32and-0.53, respectively. Anxiety could not affect suicidal ideation directly, but could affect suicidal ideation through depression. Depression and anxiety played partial mediating roles in the relationship of personality traits and suicidal ideation.5. The analyses of structural equation modeling about personality traits, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in girlsFor girls, the result indicated that the fit for the final modeling was well: x2/df=2.53, RMSEA=0.06, AGFI=0.97, GFI=0.99, NFI=0.97, IFI=0.98, CFI=0.98. Personality traits had no direct effects on suicidal ideation, but could affect it through depression and anxiety. Moreover, anxiety could not affect suicidal ideation directly, but could affect suicidal ideation through depression. Depression and anxiety played total mediating roles in the relationship of personality traits and suicidal ideation.Conclusions:1. The prevalence of the suicidal ideation in senior high students was high. The 11th graders were easier to have suicidal ideation than the12th ones. The child without siblings was easier to have suicidal ideation than the students with siblings2. The scores of nervousness, psychoticism, depression and anxiety of the suicidal ideation group were higher than the non-suicidal ideation group, and the score of extroversion was lower than the non-suicidal ideation group.3. For the total sample, personality traits had direct effects on suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety, and could affect suicidal ideation through depression and anxiety as partial mediators.4. For boys, personality traits had direct effects on suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety, and could also affect suicidal ideation through depression and anxiety as partial mediators.5. For girls, personality traits did not have direct effects on suicidal ideation, but could affect suicidal ideation through depression and anxiety as total mediators.