Recalled Childhood Maltreatment and Suicide Risk in Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of Psychache and the Moderating Role of Meaning in Life

Although research has demonstrated that childhood maltreatment is a distal factor for suicide risk, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This study aims to test whether psychache mediates the relationship between college students' recalled childhood maltreatment and suicide risk and whether meaning in life moderates the indirect path. Participants were recruited by a convenient sampling method and data was collected via an online survey in this cross-sectional study. A total of 767 Chinese college students (aged 18-24) filled out self-report questionnaires regarding demographic information, childhood maltreatment, psychache, meaning in life, and suicide risk. Results showed that (a) recalled childhood maltreatment was positively associated with suicide risk, (b) psychache partially mediated the association between recalled childhood maltreatment and suicide risk, and (c) meaning in life moderated the association between psychache and suicide risk. The effect of psychache on suicide risk was weaker in college students with higher levels of meaning in life. Findings highlight the significance to consider those risk and protective factors when evaluating suicide risk and developing suicide prevention and intervention strategies.

Automated summary

This study aims to investigate whether psychache mediates the relationship between recalled childhood maltreatment and suicide risk among college students, as well as whether meaning in life moderates this indirect path. The findings reveal that recalled childhood maltreatment is positively associated with suicide risk, with psychache partially mediating this relationship. Moreover, meaning in life moderates the association between psychache and suicide risk, indicating that higher levels of meaning in life weaken the impact of psychache on suicide risk. These findings highlight the importance of considering these risk and protective factors when assessing suicide risk and developing prevention and intervention strategies.