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Modeling Suicidal Thoughts Based on Childhood Trauma Experience and Alexithymia in University Students: The Mediating Role of Mentalization Capacity
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Behnaz Pishgahi   , Kobra Haji Alizade * , Seyed Abdolvahab Samavi |
| University of Bandar Abbas , Hajializadehk@iau.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (30 Views) |
Introduction: Suicide is responsible for approximately one million deaths annually, ranking it among the top ten leading causes of mortality worldwide. Furthermore, suicide accounts for 1.4% of the global burden of disease. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of modeling suicidal thoughts based on childhood trauma and alexithymia among university students, with the mediating role of mentalization capacity.
Methods: This research was designed as a fundamental study employing a correlational approach within the framework of structural equation modeling (SEM). The study population comprised all students enrolled in universities in Tehran during the second half of the year 2025. From this population, 350 participants were selected using convenience sampling, adhering to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI), and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ). Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling, were performed using SPSS and AMOS software.
Results: The results indicated that the proposed model demonstrated a good fit with the data. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the direct paths from childhood trauma to mentalization capacity (β = -0.56, t = -2.59), emotional alexithymia to mentalization capacity (β = -0.31, t = -3.03), childhood trauma to suicidal ideation (β = 0.02, t = 2.27), and mentalization capacity to suicidal ideation (β = -0.30, t = -2.60) were significant. The direct path from emotional alexithymia to suicidal ideation (β = 0.09, t = 1.67) was not significant. Additionally, the indirect effect of childhood trauma on suicidal ideation through the mediating role of mentalization capacity was significant (β = 0.62, p = 0.006). The indirect effect of emotional alexithymia on suicidal ideation through the mediating role of mentalization capacity was also significant (β = 0.19, p = 0.005). The results further indicated that the study variables collectively explained 41% of the variance in suicidal ideation.
Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, the level of mentalization mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and emotional alexithymia with suicidal thoughts in students, so the role of these changes should be considered in working on suicidal thoughts.
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| Keywords: Childhood trauma, alexithymia, Suicidal Thoughts, mentalizing capacity |
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Type of Study: Nursing Education |
Subject:
behavioral sciences
Received: 2026/05/25 | Accepted: 2026/06/3 | Published: 2026/04/30
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