Flexibilidad psicológica y riesgo suicida en estudiantes universitarios

Abstract

Psychological flexibility is the ability to get in touch with the present, feelings and thoughts, generating adaptation to the demands of each circumstance by changing behaviors according to the subject's goals and values; while suicidal risk is that determinant (social, family and/or personal) that increases the possibility that a subject will attempt a suicidal act in the near future or at any time in his or her life. Psychological flexibility can be considered as a predisposing factor for suicidal risk, so the objective was to determine the relationship that may exist between psychological flexibility and suicidal risk in university students. The sample consisted of 300 students of Clinical Laboratory and Nutrition and Dietetics of a public university in Ecuador, with 26.3% of men and 73.7% of women and ages between 18 and 29 years old. The research had a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational and cross-sectional approach. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) and Inventory of Suicide Orientation (ISO-30) were used and showed a moderate positive relationship between psychological flexibility and suicidal risk (rho = 0.706, p <0.001), and it was also found that there was no statistically significant difference between men and women, and the medium suicidal risk predominated. In conclusion, there was a direct relationship, i.e., the greater the psychological inflexibility of the university student, the greater the suicidal risk.