Mediating effects of well-being on character strength and suicidal tendencies in university students

Abstract

Reports have indicated that character strength, which includes positive personality traits, improves well-being. However, less is known about how one’s character strength is linked to suicidal risk, and whether well-being mediates this relationship. This cross-sectional study examined the possibility that well-being has a mediating effect on the relationship between one’s character strength and suicidal tendencies. University students (N = 305, average age = 19.7) answered the questionnaire. The data was analyzed using mediation analysis. Students’ knowledge of their character strength and using that strength each had different direct effects on suicidal tendencies. Knowing one’s character strength directly reduced suicidal tendencies, which were also mediated by a high level of well-being. Meanwhile, using one’s character strength had negative effects toward suicidal tendencies. These results indicate that students’ knowledge of their own character strength might play a protective role in suicidal tendencies even if well-being did not improve, and also suggest that one’s use of character strength might increase suicidal tendencies if it were not used appropriately according to the types of strengths and various situational factors.