Association between emotional stability and suicidality in a Brazilian sample of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderation role of financial hardship

Abstract

Background: Emotional stability is considered a protective factor for suicidal behavior. Nonetheless, suicidality is the result of a complex interaction of protective and risk factors, a key one being financial difficulties. We aimed to investigate the association between emotional stability and suicidality in Brazilian individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the moderation role of financial hardship Methods: A total of 2140 participants, 79.4% women, answered an online survey from November 2020 to January 2021, containing questions about suicidality as well as concerning economic hardship. We conducted multiple regression and moderation analysis using SPSS PROCESS v3.5 Macro model 1 Results: The participants who reported not having presented suicidal ideation or suicide attempt in the previous month showed a significantly higher level of emotional stability. There was a significant interaction with financial hardship (p=0,006) for suicide attempt as the outcome, with significant association between emotional stability and suicide attempts only in the absence of financial hardship Limitations: The limitations of this study include the lack of control for distinct mental disorders and levels of financial problems Conclusion: The presence of financial hardship may suppress the protective role of emotional stability in suicidal behavior.

Keywords

• suicide
• financial hardship
• emotional stability
• Covid-19
• risk factors