The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Irrational Thoughts in Predicting Suicidal Thoughts in Women with Substance-Dependent Spouses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of cognitive emotion regulation strategies and irrational thoughts in predicting suicidal thoughts in women with the substance-dependent spouses in the city of Islamabad Gharb in 2017 and 2018. 

 This study was descriptive-correlational. The present study population included all women who had substance-dependent spouses referred to the Ofogh-e-Tazeh Injury Reduction Center in Islamabad Gharb, from which 300 women were selected by convenience sampling. The Beck suicide ideation scale, the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire, and the irrational belief scale were used to collect data. Pearson's correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression analysis were used to analyze the data. 

 The mean age of the subjects was 37.8 years with a standard deviation of 4.2. Irrational thoughts and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies had significant positive correlations with suicidal thoughts. There was a significant and negative relationship between suicidal thoughts and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The results showed that irrational thoughts and cognitive emotion regulation strategies together could predict 47% of the variance of suicidal thoughts. 

 According to the findings, measures can be taken to increase cognitive emotion regulation strategies and reduce irrational thoughts so that they can lead to reducing suicidal ideation among women with substance-dependent spouses.