Background/Objectives: This study applied Joiner's Interpersonal PsychologicalTheory to a caregiver population, by describing relationships... Show moreBackground/Objectives: This study applied Joiner's Interpersonal PsychologicalTheory to a caregiver population, by describing relationships among affiliate stigma,
thwarted-belongingess (TB), perceived-burdensomeness (PB), and depression, and
suicidal ideation (SI). Participants/Setting: 243 adult caregivers participated in this study
via Prolific Academic and caregiver-related websites. Design/Main Outcome Measures:
This study used a cross-sectional, survey-based design including demographics, the
Affiliate Stigma Scale (α=.93), Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-15 (α=.95), Center of
Epidemiology Studies–Depression-10 (α=.90), and Depressive Symptom Inventory—
Suicide Subscale (α = .91) via Qualtrics. Analyses run on SPSSv27/Hayes’ PROCESS
macro. Results: Parallel-serial mediation found after controlling for covariates that the
total indirect effect of affiliate stigma on SI through both TB and PB then through
depression was significant, B = .0271, SE = .0062, β = .1659, 95%CI [.0152, .0393].
Conclusions: Findings indicated that affiliate stigma indirectly affected SI through both
TB and PB then through depression. Interventions to improve caregiver wellbeing should
capitalize on both improving interpersonal functioning and depressive symptoms in
tandem in order to reduce SI risk. Show less
