Empathy and suicide-related stigma among emerging adults: A structural equation modeling study.

Abstract

Suicide-related stigma may hinder help-seeking and timely mental health support among emerging adults aged 18-29 years. Although empathy may be protective, evidence on its association with suicide-related attitudes remains limited. This cross-sectional study examined associations between empathy and the three subscales of the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form among 1,003 Peruvian university students (Mage = 20.47, SD = 1.97; 51.4% men). Participants completed the Cognitive and Affective Empathy Test and the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form. Structural equation modeling with WLSMV showed that higher empathy was associated with lower stigma (β = -.367), isolation/depression beliefs (β = -.297), and glorification/normalization beliefs (β = -.195; all p < .001). Associations remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, and religious practice, and structural invariance was supported across sex. Findings suggest that empathy may be a relevant correlate of less stigmatizing and stereotyped suicide-related attitudes among Peruvian emerging adults.