Date of Award

1-1-2023

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology

Content Description

1 online resource (v, 63 pages) : illustrations.

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Hung-Bin Sheu

Committee Members

M. Dolores Cimini, Brett Harris

Keywords

Asian American college students, Asian students, Suicide, Perfectionism (Personality trait), Impostor phenomenon

Subject Categories

Counseling Psychology

Abstract

Suicide is the first leading cause of death for college-age individuals (17-24) in the US who identify as Asian and Pacific Islanders. Family perfectionism – discrepancy, defined as the perception of a gap between one’s performance and the family’s high standards, was found to be an important risk factor in this population due to the strong emphasis on interpersonal contexts in many Asian cultures. However, the current literature has not provided clear empirical support for the mechanisms through which family perfectionism exerts its impact on suicidal ideation. To fill this gap, the current study attempted to integrate the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005) and the Escape Theory of Suicide (EST; Baumeister, 1990) to identify possible mechanisms for how family perfectionism might influence suicidal ideation in Asian college students (namely, through imposterism, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and the presence of as well as search for relational meaning in life). Data from 269 Asian college students from four SUNY campuses were collected using an online survey. Data analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques showed excellent model fit, yet only some of the hypothesized paths were significant. Results show that perceived burdensomeness, but not thwarted belongingness, functioned as a mediator for the impact of family perfectionism – discrepancy on suicidal ideation. Overall, the analysis only provided support for the IPTS portion of the integrated model. Issues with the theoretical integration, practical implications for interventions, and directions for future research are discussed.

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