THE ESCAPE THEORY OF SUICIDE AND PERFECTIONISM IN COLLEGE-STUDENTS

A preliminary model of the escape theory of suicide was tested in 168 college students (52 males, 116 females), who completed self-report me asures of self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfe ctionism, negative life stress, depression, hopelessness, anxiety, rea sons for living, and suicidal behaviors. A path analysis provided only partial validation for the model and accounted for 26% of the varianc e in suicidal behaviors. None of the three dimensions of perfectionism significantly accounted for any additional variance in suicidal behav iors above and beyond the other variables used in the study. Socially prescribed perfectionism was only dimension of perfectionism that show ed a statistically significant bivariate correlation with suicidal beh aviors. The path analysis indicated that this correlation was an indir ect effect through reasons for living. Depression was a better predict or of suicidal behaviors than hopelessness. Perhaps one reason for the se equivocal results was the limited amount of variability in suicidal behaviors in this nonclinical sample.