Interpersonal Violence, Alcohol Use, and Acquired Capability for Suicide

• Published in: Death studies Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 234 - 241
• Main Authors: Wolford-Clevenger, Caitlin, Febres, Jeniimarie, Zapor, Heather, Elmquist, JoAnna, Bliton, Chloe, Stuart, Gregory L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 01.01.2015; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol use; Attitude to Death; Behavioral Research; College students; Correlation analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Fear - physiology; Fear - psychology; Female; Health technology assessment; Humans; Male; Pain Threshold - psychology; Risk Factors; Self destructive behavior; Self Mutilation - physiopathology; Self Mutilation - psychology; Sex Factors; Suicide - prevention & control; Suicide - psychology; Suicide - statistics & numerical data; Suicides & suicide attempts; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States; Violence - psychology; Violence - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult; United States
• ISSN: 0748-1187; 1091-7683
• DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2014.985405

Acquired capability for suicide (ACS), defined as pain tolerance and fearlessness about death, is theorized as necessary to enact suicide. This study examined the associations of interpersonal violence and alcohol use with ACS in 502 college students. General fearlessness/pain tolerance was positively associated with male gender and alcohol use. Fearlessness about death was positively associated with male gender and general physical violence perpetration. However, these risk factors did not explain variance in ACS beyond male gender and history of suicide attempts/nonsuicidal self-injury. These findings add to the understanding of ACS correlates.