Impact of psychological monitors' interview about suicide on college students' negative emotion.

Psychological factors; Affect (Psychology); Psychological distress; College students; Emotions; Suicidal behavior in youth

This study was to analyze the influence of psychological monitors (namely peer counselors with Chinese characteristics) and counselors on the affect of suicide‐related interviews among high‐risk students. 126 college students (Mage = 19.75 ± 1.05, aged: 18–23, 60% were male) were randomly divided into experimental group (interviewed) and control group (not interviewed). The experimental group filled in the positive and negative affect scale (PANAS) before and after the interview, while the experimental group and the control group filled in the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) before the interview and 1 week after the interview. The results showed that negative affect of the experimental group decreased more after the psychological counselor interviewed the experimental group than the psychological monitors. (short‐term effect: p =.001, Cohen's d = 0.66; long‐term depression: p =.007, ηp2 = 0.057) The interviewer's identity had no effect on the subjects' long‐term affect changes. (depression: F = 0.000, p =.987; hopelessness: F = 2.960, p =.09). Both psychological monitors and counselors can carry out suicide‐related interview for high‐risk students. Practitioner points: 1.Asking high‐risk people questions related to suicide does not lead to a significant increase in short‐term and long‐term emotional distress whether the interviewer is a counselor or a psychological monitor.2.After the interview, the short‐term negative affect of the high‐risk people interviewed by psychological counselors was significantly lower than that interviewed by psychological monitors.3.The identity of the interviewer had no effect on the changes of short‐term positive affect and long‐term affect of high‐risk people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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