Feeling hopeful: can hope and social support protect prisoners from suicide ideation?

Abstract

Suicide is a major concern in custodial settings with prisoners identified as a high risk group. Much previous research is limited to focussing upon factors associated with increased likelihood of suicide. The current study investigates the potentially protective factors of hope and social support in a sample of 100 suicidal prisoners. Hope, especially the sub-component of agency thinking, and the perceived availability of social support were significantly related with lower levels of suicidal ideation. Prison suicide prevention efforts may benefit from incorporating hope focussed assessments and treatments. They should also consider an individual’s need for increased availability of social support.