Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32070298›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2020

Meaning in life as a protective factor against suicidal tendencies in Chinese University students.

Bob Lew, Ksenia Chistopolskaya, Augustine Osman, Jenny Mei Yiu Huen, Mansor Abu Talib, Angel Nga Man Leung

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed
5.5field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 124 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. [Longitudinal moderating effect of depressive symptoms on the predictive relationship between self-concept clarity and meaning in life].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026
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  8. Development and Psychometric Properties of a Scale to Measure the Meaning of Life (MLS).European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025
    Article
  9. Article
  10. The Impact of Neuroticism and Daydreaming in the Link Between Attachment and Suicide Risk in Emerging Adults.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025
    Article
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  12. Review
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  15. Review
  16. Recovery-based suicide prevention.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025
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  17. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Bob LewDepartment of Social Psychology, Putra University of Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Ksenia ChistopolskayaEramishantsev City Clinical Hospital, Moscow, Russia.ORCID 0000-0003-2552-5009
Augustine OsmanDepartment of Psychology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3306-3249
Jenny Mei Yiu HuenDepartment of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7189-5284
Mansor Abu TalibDepartment of Social Psychology, Faculty of Human Ecology, Putra University of Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Angel Nga Man LeungDepartment of Psychology and Centre for Psychosocial Health, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. nmleung@eduhk.hk.ORCID 0000-0003-0806-6584
Universiti Putra Malaysia · MYCity Clinical Hospital · RUEducation University of Hong Kong · HKThe University of Texas at San Antonio · USUniversity of Hong Kong · HK

Funding

Internal Individual Research Fund R6535
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA substantial increase in rates of suicide worldwide, especially among late adolescents and young adults, has been observed. It is important to identify specific risk and protective factors for suicide-related behaviors among late adolescents and young adults. Identifying specific factors across the masses, not only in the Western, but also in the Asian context, helps researchers develop empirically informed intervention methods for the management of protective and risk factors of suicide.

methodsIn the current study, 2074 students (706 males), filled out the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, with subscales of Search for Meaning (MLQ-S) and Presence of Meaning (MLQ-P); the Future Disposition Inventory-24 (FDI-24), with subscales of Positive Focus (PF), Suicide Orientation (SO), and Negative Focus (NF); and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). These scales measure protective and risk factors that are linked to suicidal behaviors; while suicidal behaviors were measured by the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). Mediation analyses were performed to test the models with both the MLQ-S and MLQ-P as the mediators between a) hopelessness, as measured by BHS and suicidal behaviors; and b) PF, SO, and NF, as measured by FDI-24, and suicidal behaviors.

resultsWe found that only MLQ-P mediated the relation between hopelessness and suicidal behaviors; while both MLQ-P and MLQ-S mediated PF, SO, and NF (as measured by FDI-24), and suicidal behaviors, respectively.

conclusionMeaning in life, including both the presence of meaning in life and search for meaning, can be good protective factors against suicidal behaviors.

Indexed as

Personal SatisfactionProtective FactorsSuicidal IdeationSuicide PreventionUniversitiesAsian PeopleChinaFemaleHumansMaleMotivationQuality of LifeRisk FactorsStudentsSuicideYoung AdultChinaFDI-24HopelessnessMeaning in lifeProtective factorSuicide

Identifiers

PMID32070298
PMCPMC7027298
OpenAlexW3012769559

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.