The synergy of depression and flourishing/languishing on suicidal thoughts and behaviors: Findings from a national sample of emerging adult students in higher education in the United States

by Hans Oh, Louis Jacob, Nirit Soffer-Dudek, Jae Il Shin, Lee Smith, Megan Besecker, Edouard Leaune, Trevor A. Pickering

Suicide is a leading cause of death among students in higher education, driven in large part by mental illness, but also mental wellness. Relatively few studies have examined the extent to which depression and flourishing/languishing interact in relation to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

We analyzed data from the Healthy Minds Study (2020–2021; emerging adult students aged 18–29; N = 101,435), and calculated interaction contrast ratios to estimate the interaction between depression and flourishing/languishing on suicidal thoughts and behaviors, using an additive scale, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and food insecurity.

When compared with students who were flourishing without depression, the students who were languishing without depression, and the students who were depressed but still flourishing had significantly greater odds of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. However, students who were depressed and languishing had the greatest odds, exceeding the sum of the individual effects.

The interaction of depression and flourishing/languishing produced a synergy that increased odds of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Flourishing interventions may prove to be an effective strategy for universal suicide prevention.