Evaluating Dissociative Experiences, ACEs, and Acquired Capability for Suicide in College Students

Cara T Burch; John Shelley-Tremblay

Cara T Burch University of South Alabama
John Shelley-Tremblay University of South Alabama

Keywords: Dissociation, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Psychache, Self-Harm, Acquired Capability for Suicide, Discomfort Intolerance, Pain Catastrophizing, Rumination, Physical Pain Tolerance

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the potential psychophysiological mechanisms: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Psychache, Dissociation, Discomfort Intolerance, Pain Catastrophizing (PC), Positive Urgency and Negative Urgency, and their impact on the acquired capability for suicide (AC). Factor analysis of the study variables yielded a three-factor solution consisting of Dissociation, Distress, and Urgency, and Confirmatory analysis replicated the three factors. The Structural Equation Model indicated significant mediation effects between the variables. Psychache and PC significantly mediate the relationship between ACEs and AC. The key finding of our study is that PC was a significant mediator in the relationship between Dissociation and AC with or without the effect of ACEs. Psychache’s indirect effect through PC on AC accounted for the most variance within our model. These results clarify the relationships between the variables being examined and their effect on AC, supporting the development theory of Dissociation.