The Role of Psychological Flexibility in the Relationship Between Positive Childhood Experiences and Suicidal Ideation

Maryam  Aeinfar; Roya  Pooyanfard; Atefeh  Meghrazi; Sahar  Abbaszadeh; Fatemehnoora  Babaei; Mohammad Amin Roustaei Hossein Abadi

Authors

Maryam Aeinfar Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0336-6185
Roya Pooyanfard Department of psychiatry, Shahid beheshti hospital, Afzalipour faculty of medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2679-0816
Atefeh Meghrazi M.A. in General Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5870-373X
Sahar Abbaszadeh M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3834-4831
Fatemehnoora Babaei M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9251-414X
Mohammad Amin Roustaei Hossein Abadi M.A. in General Psychology, Department of psychology, Faculty of literature and humanities, Malayer university,‌ Malayer, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2414-6109

Keywords:

positive childhood experiences, psychological flexibility, suicidal ideation, indirect association, adults

Abstract

This study examined the role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between positive childhood experiences and suicidal ideation among Iranian adults. The study used a descriptive-correlational design and included 286 participants aged 20 to 40 years who were recruited through online convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, developed by Beck et al. (1979), the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale, developed by Narayan et al. (2018), and the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire, developed by Ben-Itzhak et al. (2014). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling. Positive childhood experiences were positively associated with psychological flexibility (r = .42, p < .001) and negatively associated with suicidal ideation (r = −.38, p < .001). Psychological flexibility was also negatively associated with suicidal ideation (r = −.47, p < .001). The proposed mediation model showed an adequate fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.13, GFI = .93, CFI = .96, IFI = .96, NFI = .94, RMSEA = .063). Positive childhood experiences had a significant positive effect on psychological flexibility (β = .42, p < .001), whereas psychological flexibility had a significant negative effect on suicidal ideation (β = −.38, p < .001). The indirect effect of positive childhood experiences on suicidal ideation through psychological flexibility was also significant (β = −.16, 95% CI [−.23, −.10]), supporting a partial mediating role of psychological flexibility. These findings suggest that positive childhood experiences may be associated with lower suicidal ideation both directly and indirectly through greater psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility may therefore represent an important protective mechanism in understanding and preventing suicidal ideation.

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