How rumination affect suicidal ideation: a moderated mediation model

Abstract

Background

Rumination is regarded as a cognitive risk factor and a focal point of clinical interventions aimed at mitigating suicidal ideation. Nonetheless, the mechanisms how rumination affects suicidal ideation warrant further exploration.

Methods

A cohort of 831 Chinese college students (M age = 19.30 years, SD age = 1.17; 444 females) completed a questionnaire composed of the Ruminative Responses Scale, Entrapment Scale, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, and Self-Rating Idea of Suicide Scale. A moderated mediation model was used to explore the relationship between rumination, entrapment and suicidal ideation.

Results

The results reveal that: (1) Rumination significantly and positively predicts suicidal ideation among college students (β = 0.26, p < 0.001); (2) Entrapment serves as a mediating role between rumination and suicidal ideation (95% CI= [0.27, 0.42]); and (3) Mindfulness moderates the impact of rumination on suicidal ideation (β = -0.09, t = -4.30, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

These findings highlight entrapment as the mediator linking rumination to suicidal ideation and emphasize the potential advantages of enhancing mindfulness to alleviate suicidal ideation among Chinese college students, bearing significant implications for the prevention and intervention of suicidal ideation in this demographic.

Clinical trial number

Not applicable

Introduction

Suicide ranks as the second leading cause of unnatural deaths among individuals aged 15–29 years [1]. Notably, Chinese college students, a significant segment of this age group, demonstrate a suicide mortality rate nearly half of their overall unnatural death rate [2]. Research reveals that the prevalence of suicidal ideation among Chinese college students has reached 10.7% over the past decade [3]. Suicidal ideation, which involves the cognitive contemplation or desire to end one’s life [4], is recognized as a sensitive predictor of suicidal behavior across both Chinese and Western contexts [5, 6]. Although suicidal ideation does not inherently lead to suicidal behavior, frequent occurrences increase the risk. Hence, exploring the influential factors and mechanisms of suicidal ideation is crucial in reducing suicidal behavior among college students.

The relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation

Rumination, characterized by an individual’s repetitive and passive fixation on the symptoms, causes, and repercussions of encountered problems or emotions, rather than actively addressing them, is considered a maladaptive response style [7]. According to the Cognitive Model of Suicidal Behavior, a heightened inclination towards negative cognitive content and information may trigger cognitive schemas associated with suicide, subsequently fostering suicidal ideation [8]. Research indicates that rumination cultivates an attentional bias towards negative information, making individuals more prone to noticing negative stimuli [9, 10]. Consequently, rumination may facilitate the activation of suicide-related cognitive schemas, contributing to the emergence of suicidal ideation. Studies have identified rumination as a cognitive susceptibility factor for suicidal ideation [11]. Moreover, rumination serves as a significant predictor of suicidal ideation in both clinical and non-clinical cohorts [12,13,14,15,16,17]. Thus, the hypothesis posits that rumination positively predicts suicidal ideation in college students (H1). While the close association between rumination and suicidal ideation has been widely affirmed, the underlying mechanisms through which rumination influences suicidal ideation remain incompletely understood and warrant further exploration. Consequently, exploring the rumination in relation to suicidal ideation is essential to inform clinical interventions targeting college students’ suicidal ideation and the development of mental health programs tailored to college students.

The mediating role of entrapment

Entrapment, defined as a sense or psychological state of being caught when an individual’s desire to escape from an unpleasant situation [18] is believed to play a key mediating role between rumination and suicidal ideation, as per existing research findings. According to the cry of pain model and the schematic appraisal model of suicide, negative assessments of escape ability (judging one’s ability to escape from an aversive situation through one’s own strengths) and rescue factors (external sources of escape) constitute the main aspects affecting feelings of entrapment [19,20,21]. Rumination leads individuals to harbor negative expectations and evaluations regarding their ability to escape and rescue factors. Rumination weakens an individual’s problem-solving abilities. Response style theory suggests that rumination is associated with worse problem-solving abilities in individuals [22]. Research has shown that rumination prompts individuals to overestimate the difficulty of resolving encountered issues and impedes their ability to devise effective solutions [23, 24]. This can lead to individuals underestimating their own ability to escape. Similarly, rumination contributes to negative evaluations of available rescue resources. For instance, rumination is associated with increased perceptions of social support discontent [23, 25, 26]. Thus, as rumination leads individuals to harbor negative expectations and evaluations regarding their ability to escape and rescue factors it may serve as a risk factor for feelings of entrapment.

Additionally, entrapment heightens the risk of suicidal ideation. According to the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior, entrapment serves as a pivotal catalyst in the emergence of suicidal ideation, directly contributing to its occurrence [27]. This is because individuals experiencing entrapment are motivated to escape despite perceiving an inability to navigate aversive situations effectively, potentially leading them to view suicide as the sole means of escape [18, 28]. Research has consistently demonstrated a strong and enduring correlation between entrapment and suicidal ideation as a proximal influencer of suicidal ideation [29]. For instance, in both the Spanish cohort (N = 620, 18–35 years) and the German cohort (N = 301, 18–77 years), feelings of entrapment directly and positively predicted subjects’ suicidal ideation [30, 31]. Despite this, cross-cultural consistency in the context of entrapment and its effects remains under exploration and testing [32]. Furthermore, current examinations of entrapment within Chinese populations are scarce. Drawing from existing theoretical and empirical foundations, we hypothesize that entrapment mediates the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation among college students (H2).

The moderating role of mindfulness

Mindfulness involves a focused and nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment, including both physical sensations and mental states [33]. It is considered both a transient state and a stable trait—referred to as trait mindfulness—indicating an individual’s ability and tendency to maintain mindfulness in daily activities, thus reflecting variations in mindfulness levels among individuals [34, 35]. Higher mindfulness levels correlate with increased openness and acceptance of negative emotions, as well as heightened adaptability in managing challenging situations and difficulties encountered [36]. Research indicates that mindfulness reduces susceptibility to negative emotions and thoughts, fostering a positive mental state. For instance, mindfulness has shown negative associations with anxiety and depression, along with predicting elevated life satisfaction and psychological well-being [37,38,39]. Furthermore, mindfulness acts as a buffer in the face of risk factors influencing suicidal ideation. For instance, mindfulness moderated the impact of daily life stress, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress on suicidal ideation among college students [40, 41]. Thus, mindfulness, as a protective factor within the trait category, may play a moderating role in the mechanisms that influence rumination and suicidal ideation. Notably, the moderating role of mindfulness may be evident in the mediating effect between rumination and suicidal ideation through entrapment. As per the integrated model of motivation-volition, while suicidal ideation directly stems from entrapment, motivational moderators ― variables that enable trapped individuals to envision alternatives to suicide, a more positive future, and reduced distress―can alter the likelihood of this transformation from entrapment to suicidal ideation [32]. Hope [42], resilience [28] and positive mental health [31] have been found to moderate the relationship between entrapment and suicidal ideation. Building on this, mindfulness embodies motivational moderating variables that alleviate distress and facilitate greater flexibility in coping with challenges [36]. However, no research has explored the moderating role of mindfulness in the connection between entrapment and suicidal ideation. Drawing from theoretical and empirical analyses, in the present study the following hypothesis 3 is proposed: Mindfulness negatively moderates the latter portion of the mediating effect of entrapment between rumination and suicidal ideation (H3).

Current study

Identifying both risk and protective factors is essential for shaping suicide prevention strategies [13]. This study seeks to explore how cognitive risk factors like rumination influence suicidal ideation among Chinese college students, and to identify the protective factors involved in this process. By employing a moderated mediator model, as depicted in Fig. 1, the study aims to clarify the direct and indirect pathways of rumination and entrapment in the development of suicidal ideation among college students, while considering the moderating role of mindfulness The expected outcomes include providing empirical evidence to support clinical interventions aimed at reducing suicidal ideation in college students and guiding the development of specialized mental health programs. Additionally, the study aims to enhance understanding of entrapment across different cultures and the role of motivationally moderated variables within the integrated motivation-volition model.

Study’s hypotheses

H1

Rumination positively predicts suicidal ideation in college students.

H2

Entrapment mediates the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation among college students.

H3

Mindfulness negatively moderates the latter portion of the mediating effect of entrapment between rumination and suicidal ideation.

Fig. 1

Hypothetical model

Materials and methods

Participants and procedure

This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 10th to December 31st 2020. Participants were drawn from three universities in the Fujian and Jiangxi provinces of China. Data were collected using both convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods via online questionnaires. Participants were invited to complete a series of self-report questionnaires through Wenjuanxing, a reliable and secure Chinese online survey platform. Any student who can read Chinese and is willing to participate can take part in this survey, with no additional exclusion criteria set. This survey took approximately ten minutes to complete, and each participant received a compensation of 3 Yuan upon completion. Participants can withdraw at any time. A total of 926 college students were initially completed the online questionnaire. To ensure the reliability of the study results, invalid data were removed based on the following criteria: (1) elimination of incomplete or uniform responses; (2) exclusion of lie detector scores of ≥ 4 on the Self-Rating Scale for Suicidal Ideation [43]. After data cleaning, a total of 831 valid datasets were obtained, with a mean age of 19.30 years (SD = 1.17), and an age range of 17 to 26 years, achieving a validity rate of 89.8%. The valid data comprised 387 males (46.57%) and 444 females (53.43%).

Participants were informed about the study’s purpose and procedure before the survey commenced. Online written consent was obtained from all participants. This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Fujian Normal University, confirming that it was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards outlined in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki.

Measures

Ruminative responses scale

Rumination was assessed by the Ruminative Responses Scale [22], which has been adapted and validated for use in the Chinese population [44]. This questionnaire comprises 22 items, with each item rated on a 4-point Likert scale (“1” indicating never and “4” indicating always). The scale encompasses three dimensions: symptom rumination (e.g., “I often think about how lonely I am”), reflection (e.g., “I often analyze recent events in order to understand why I am depressed”), and brooding (e.g., “I often wonder what I have done to cause this”). Higher scores on the questionnaire correspond to higher levels of rumination. The scale has demonstrated suitability for use with Chinese college students [16] and exhibited good reliability in the current study (Cronbach’s α = 0.95). The Cronbach’s α for the three dimensions of symptom rumination, reflection, and brooding were 0.92, 0.80, and 0.83, respectively.

Entrapment scale

Entrapment was evaluated using the Entrapment Scale, originally developed by Gilbert and Allan [18] and later revised by Gong et al. [45]. This 16-item scale employed a 5-point Likert scale (“0” indicating never and “4” indicating always) to measure participants’ responses (e.g., “I feel like I’m in a rut I can’t get out of “). Higher scores on the scale correspond to a more pronounced perception of entrapment. In the current study, the Entrapment Scale demonstrated strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s α of 0.95.

Mindfulness attention awareness scale

The assessment of mindfulness employed the revised Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale [39], as validated by Chen et al. [46]. This scale contains 15 items (e.g., “I find it hard to consistently focus on what’s going on”) and used a Likert 6-point scoring method, ranging from 1 (almost always) to 6 (almost never). The higher total score on this scale indicates higher degrees of mindfulness. In this study, the Cronbach’s α of MAAS was 0.88.

Self-rating idea of suicide scale

The Self-rating Idea of Suicide Scale [43] was utilized to gauge suicidal ideation. This questionnaire comprises 26 items (e.g., “I want to end my life.“), each measured using a 2-point scoring method (“0” indicating no, “1” indicating yes). Ten of the items were reverse scored, while questions 6, 9, 13, 15, and 25 served as lie detection items and were excluded from the statistical analysis (e.g., “sometimes I gossip”). A higher cumulative score from the remaining items indicates more pronounced suicidal ideation. The scale has demonstrated suitability for use with Chinese college students [47] and exhibited good reliability in the current study (Cronbach’s α = 0.84).

Statistical analyses

SPSS 25.0 (IBM Corporation, New York, USA) and PROCESS macro were employed to process all data, involving the following several steps. First, Harman’s single-factor analysis was utilized to examine potential common method bias. Subsequently, descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted for each of the primary variables. Finally, this study utilized the PROCESS macro (specifically Model 4 and Model 14) to evaluate the moderated mediation model using 5000 bootstrap samples and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). This is statistically significant, if the values of the lower and upper 95% CI limits do not contain “zero” [48].

Results

Common method bias

We used Harman’s single-factor analysis to test possible common method bias in our study [49]. It was found that there were 16 factors with eigenvalues above 1 and that the variance explained by the first common factor was 30.15%, which was below the empirical criterion of 40% [50]. Therefore, there are no serious common method biases in this study.

Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis of main variable

The median score and standard deviation for rumination, entrapment, mindfulness, and suicidal ideation among all the participants was 45.25 (12.37), 37.83 (13.62), 67.21 (10.88) and 5.33 (4.06), respectively. The correlations for the main study variables are presented in Table 1. Specifically, both rumination and entrapment were significantly and positively associated with suicidal ideation (r = 0.63, p < 0.01 and r = 0.67, p < 0.01, respectively), while mindfulness was significantly negatively correlated with suicidal ideation (r = -0.48, p < 0.01). Furthermore, rumination was significantly positively correlated with entrapment (r = 0.75, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with mindfulness (r = -0.60, p < 0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between entrapment and mindfulness (r = -0.59, p < 0.01).

Given that gender and age exhibited significant correlations with certain primary variables in the study, they were introduced as control variables in the subsequent model tests to mitigate their potential influence on the results.

Table 1 Results of descriptive statistics and correlation analysis

Testing for mediating role of entrapment

The four variables, namely rumination (independent variable), suicidal ideation (dependent variable), entrapment (mediating variable), and mindfulness (moderating variable) were standardized and the PROCESS macro procedure (model 4) was used to f test the mediating effect of entrapment. After controlling for gender and age, rumination significantly positively predicted suicidal ideation (β = 0.26, p < 0.001), indicate that the direct effect is significant. Furthermore, rumination significantly predicted entrapment in a positive manner (β = 0.74, p < 0.001), and entrapment also had a significant positive effect on suicidal ideation (β = 0.44, p < 0.001), suggesting an indirect effect. Therefore, these findings demonstrate that entrapment partially mediates the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation. The mediating effect was estimated at 0.34, accounting for 54.16% of the total effect. The bootstrap 95% confidence interval for the mediating effect was [0.27, 0.42].

Testing for moderated effect of mindfulness

Model 14 was used to test for moderating effects in the last half of the mediation process. The results indicate that the interaction term between mindfulness and entrapment significantly and negatively predicted suicidal ideation (β = -0.09, t = -4.30, p < 0.001).Specifically, suicidal ideation was significantly lower among college students with high mindfulness levels than among those with low mindfulness levels at times of low entrapment (t = 2.71, df = 37, p < 0.05), and also significantly lower among college students with high mindfulness levels than among those with low mindfulness levels at times of high entrapment (t = 12.90, df = 193.30, p < 0.001). In other words, mindfulness had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between entrapment and suicidal ideation. The moderating pattern of mindfulness revealed by simple slope analysis. Specifically, the mediated effect values and 95% confidence intervals for entrapment between rumination and suicidal ideation were calculated at three levels of mindfulness scores: one standard deviation below the mean, the mean, and one standard deviation above the mean. These values are presented in Table 2. The further simple slope analysis revealed compelling results. For college students with low-level mindfulness (-SD), there was a significant trend indicating that as entrapment increased, suicidal ideation also increased (B_simple = 0.53, SE = 0.04, p < 0.001). This means that for every standard deviation increase in entrapment, there was a corresponding rise of 0.53 standard deviations in suicidal ideation. Moreover, among college students with high-level mindfulness (+ SD), an increase in entrapment still predicted a rise in suicidal ideation (B_simple = 0.35, SE = 0.04, p < 0.001). Specifically, for each standard deviation increase in entrapment, there was a 0.35 standard deviation increase in suicidal ideation (Fig. 2).

Table 2 Mediating effects of entrapment at different levels of mindfulness

Fig. 2

The moderating role of mindfulness in the relationship between entrapment and suicidal ideation

Discussion

The present study sought to investigate the interplay of various factors in the development of suicidal ideation among Chinese college students. Specifically, the roles of both risk factors (rumination, entrapment) and protective factors (mindfulness) were examined through the construction of a moderated mediation model. This model aimed to clarify how rumination influences the emergence of suicidal ideation by operating through entrapment in the context of Chinese college students. Additionally, the study endeavored to explore whether mindfulness plays the moderating role in the relationship between entrapment and suicidal ideation. By delving into these factors, the study aimed to shed light on the complex relationships between rumination, entrapment, mindfulness, and suicidal ideation, offering valuable insights to the psychological processes among this specific group.

The relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation among college students

The study’s findings revealed that rumination significantly and positively predicted suicidal ideation among college students, aligning with previous research [13, 16]. This reaffirms the understanding that rumination serves as a crucial cognitive vulnerability factor for suicidal ideation. Moreover, it offers empirical support for the cognitive model of suicide, indicating that a poor cognitive style is a significant vulnerability factor for suicide [8, 11]. Rumination can predispose individuals to dwell on negative events and emotions, heighten attention toward negative information, and intensify and prolong the experience of negative emotions [7, 9, 10, 51]. As a result, individuals may become ensnared in a cycle of negative emotions and information, increasing the likelihood of triggering cognitive schemas associated with suicide, ultimately leading to the emergence of suicidal ideation. These findings underscore the intricate role of rumination in shaping cognitive processes and emotional experiences related to suicidal ideation among college students, align with the H1.

The mediating role of entrapment

The study’s results revealed that entrapment played a partially mediating role in the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation among college students, which is consistent with H2. This indicates that rumination not only directly predicts suicidal ideation but also has the capacity to influence suicidal ideation through the mediating influence of entrapment. These findings confirm the pivotal role of entrapment in the onset and progression of suicidal ideation, aligning with the cry of pain model, the schematic appraisal model of suicide, and the integrated model of motivation-volition. All of these models emphasize entrapment as a proximal factor in suicidal ideation, serving as a bridge between environmental and psychological risk factors and the emergence of suicidal thoughts [20, 32, 52]. Moreover, this study’s exploration of the mediating role of entrapment resonates with O’Connor and Portzky ‘s [32] emphasis on culturally sensitive testing of entrapment. By delving into college students’ experiences of entrapment within the Chinese cultural context, the study suggests that entrapment and its role in the development of suicidal ideation may exhibit cross-cultural relevance, complementing the broader understanding of entrapment across different cultural contexts.

The study’s first half of the mediation model demonstrated that rumination significantly and positively predicted college students’ feelings of entrapment. When faced with aversive situations, individuals are typically motivated to escape from them. However, rumination interferes with their objective assessment of both escape ability and rescue factors, leading to negative pessimism regarding the likelihood of escaping such situations. Specifically, during rumination, college students tend to deplete attentional resources and experience reduced cognitive flexibility, which diminishes problem-solving ability and results in an overestimation of problem-solving difficulty [25, 53]. This contributes to a belief that they lack the capacity to disengage from the current situation. Additionally, rumination diminishes actual social support resources and perceived social support levels [23, 26]. College students with higher levels of rumination are frustrated when seeking social support and perceive less social support. Consequently, rumination impedes college students’ motivation to escape aversive situations due to perceived inability to escape or the absence of external rescue, ultimately leading to a sense of entrapment [30]. The second half of the mediation model revealed that entrapment significantly and negatively predicted suicidal ideation among college students. When individuals find themselves trapped, they remain motivated to escape from their current circumstances [54]. However, the lack of effective and feasible methods to fulfill this motivational need increases the likelihood that suicide is perceived as the sole way out of the existing predicament, ultimately leading to suicidal ideation [52]. This highlights the critical role of entrapment in shaping perceptions of limited options and the subsequent development of suicidal ideation in college students, emphasizing the intricate interplay between cognitive and emotional factors in the context of suicidal thoughts.

The moderating role of mindfulness

Consistent with H3, this study revealed a novel finding, demonstrating that mindfulness moderated the latter part of the pathway between entrapment-mediated rumination and suicidal ideation among college students. Comparatively, in individuals with high levels of entrapment, the protective effect of mindfulness was even more pronounced, suggesting that mindfulness serves as a protective factor in mitigating the development of suicidal ideation among college students. This aligns with prior research that has also explored the moderating role of mindfulness [40, 41, 55]. Furthermore, these results support and expand upon the integrated model of motivation-volition, particularly in relation to motivational moderator variables. This suggests that motivational moderator variables have the potential to modulate the likelihood of the transition from feelings of entrapment to suicidal ideation [22, 27]. Therefore, mindfulness may emerge as a significant motivational moderator variable within the integrated model of motivation-volition. This finding complements earlier research on motivational moderating variables, including hopefulness [42], resilience [28] and positive mental health [31] moderated the effects of entrapment on suicidal ideation.

Mindfulness enables individuals to attend to their physical and mental experiences in the present moment in a non-judgmental and accepting manner [33]. It would foster an “existence-oriented” mode, where the initial response to a problem—be it practical or related to emotional regulation—is often “inaction,” allowing individuals to set aside the issue and focus on the present moment, facilitating a clearer examination of their experiences [36]. This approach helps individuals recognize that distressing thoughts are simply products of mental processes rather than objective facts, enhancing their problem-solving abilities [37, 56]. Consequently, compared to individuals with low mindfulness, those with high mindfulness are more likely to realize that they are not truly “trapped,” allowing them to think objectively and flexibly about feasible and effective ways to navigate challenging situations, thereby reducing the likelihood of considering suicide as the only way out.

These findings not only confirm the protective role of mindfulness in mental health but also expand the scope of motivational moderators within the integrated model of motivation-volition. Mindfulness emerges as a significant factor that influences the transition from entrapment to suicidal ideation, enriching our understanding of the motivational moderators in the context of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Indeed, while O’Connor and Portzky [32] emphasize positive future thinking, mindfulness focuses on the individual’s attention to and acceptance of the present. Despite these differing temporal attributes, both approaches yield a similar buffering effect on suicidal ideation. This observation offers a fresh perspective for intervening in college students’ suicidal ideation—namely, by adjusting their cognition from both future and present temporal perspectives. This approach emphasizes cultivating positive thinking for the future alongside attention to and acceptance of the present. By integrating these dual temporal perspectives, interventions can potentially address the complex interplay between future-oriented positive thinking and present-focused mindfulness, offering a more comprehensive approach to mitigating suicidal ideation among college students.

Research implications and limitations

The development of a moderated mediation model in this study provides valuable insights into reducing college students’ feelings of entrapment and suicidal ideation. First, recognizing rumination as a predictor of suicidal ideation in college students highlights the importance of encouraging adaptive stress responses, such as distraction and problem-solving. Additionally, equipping students with skills to manage stress effectively through positive rumination training can be beneficial. Second, identifying entrapment as a mediator in the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation suggests that addressing the negative psychological experiences of students who ruminate can help reduce suicidal thoughts. Finally, the finding that trait mindfulness acts as a protective factor in the context of entrapment impacting suicidal ideation, especially during times of high distress, emphasizes the importance of enhancing mindfulness levels among college students to better manage psychological crises. As mindfulness is a personal trait with acquired variability, schools and mental health professionals can incorporate mindfulness training or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy into college students’ mental health education programs and counseling services. This approach can effectively enhance students’ trait mindfulness, thereby bolstering their resilience against suicidal ideation [57]. By integrating these strategies, interventions may alleviate the effects of entrapment and rumination on suicidal ideation, while promoting overall psychological well-being among college students. By fostering trait mindfulness, schools and mental health practitioners can empower students to better resist suicidal thoughts.

The study has several limitations that warrant consideration. First, the cross-sectional design employed makes it difficult to infer causal relationships between the variables. A longitudinal study design is recommended for future research to better address this limitation. Second, as the study population consisted exclusively of college students, the generalizability of the findings to other populations may be limited. To improve the robustness and applicability of the results, future studies should aim to replicate the findings in diverse demographic groups. Lastly, while the study concentrated on the mediating role of entrapment and the moderating role of mindfulness, future research should broaden the investigation of mediating mechanisms and moderating factors for a more comprehensive understanding. Furthermore, the identification of mindfulness as a moderating variable needs further investigation to confirm its validity and reliability. Addressing these limitations will enhance the robustness of the research and yield more insightful results.

Conclusions

In summary, our study explores a moderated mediation model concerning the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation among college students. The findings validate the role of entrapment as a mediating mechanism linking rumination and suicidal ideation within a sample of Chinese college students. This insight enhances our understanding of the processes through which rumination potentially increases suicidal ideation in this demographic. Furthermore, the study reveals that mindfulness moderates the relationship between entrapment and suicidal ideation, with its protective effect being particularly significant in cases of high entrapment. Thus, this study advances the comprehension of the mechanisms underlying the connection between rumination and suicidal ideation, offering valuable implications for the prevention and intervention of suicidal ideation among college students.