NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTIONAL STYLE FOR INTERPERSONAL EVENTS AND THE OCCURRENCE OF SEVERE INTERPERSONAL DISRUPTIONS AS PREDICTORS OF SELF-REPORTEDSUICIDAL IDEATION

We applied the hopelessness theory of depression to suicidal symptoms: 203 undergraduates completed questionnaires on attributional style, n egative life events, hopelessness, and suicidal symptoms at one point in time and again 10 weeks later. Consistent with prediction, the comb ination of a negative attributional style for interpersonal events and the occurrence of such events were prospectively related to increases in self-reported suicidality over the course of the 10-week study. Th ese findings displayed specificity with respect to interpersonal versu s achievement-related styles and events. Contrary to hypothesis, hopel essness did not mediate the relation between the Attributional style x Stress interaction and the increases in self-reported suicidality.