Uncovering the psychological mechanisms behind quarter-life crisis and suicide cognitions

Abstract

Young adults may experience a quarter-life crisis due to challenges they face in education, work, and relationships. Individuals experiencing a quarter-life crisis face numerous mental health issues, including psychological distress, entrapment, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. However, evidence in the literature explaining the processes leading from quarter-life crisis to suicide is limited. This study examined the mediating and moderating roles of entrapment, hopelessness, depression, perceived social support, and resilience in the relationship between the quarter-life crisis and suicide cognitions. The study sample consisted of 563 participants (349 females) aged 17–35 ( M age = 25.55) from Türkiye. According to the research results, which tested the theoretical models, the quarter-life crisis was found to be a significant predictor of suicide cognitions. Additionally, entrapment, hopelessness, depression, perceived social support, and resilience were found to play significant and decisive roles in the relationship between the quarter-life crisis and suicide cognitions. Therefore, to prevent suicidal thoughts and behaviors in individuals experiencing a quarter-life crisis, it is necessary to reduce entrapment, hopelessness, and depression, and to increase perceived social support and resilience. The research findings make original contributions to the literature examining the relationship between the quarter-life crisis and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.