Attitudes toward Suicide and Emotional Expressivity: Gender and Culture Specific Associations with Suicide Proneness for Japanese and American College Students

This study considered whether suicide acceptability and emotional expressivity were associated with suicide proneness in American and Japanese women and men. Participants included 417 (283 women, 134 men) American and 396 (243 women, 150 men) Japanese college students. Regression models indicated that suicide acceptability predicted unique variance in suicide proneness for both American and Japanese women and men. However, emotional expressivity contributed to understanding the suicide proneness of American college students only. Culturally appropriate prevention and intervention implications associated with reducing suicide acceptance and cultivating well-being and resiliency are offered.