Recent work suggests that hopelessness about specific experiences may provide a better understanding of suicide risk, or contribute to the general hopelessness motivating suicidal thoughts, but most of this data comes from cross-sectional studies. The current study examined how specific life stressor hopelessness related to concurrent suicidal urges directly, and indirectly through the effects of general hopelessness. Participants, 25 outpatient adults with current suicide ideation, completed a 21-day EMA study with three prompts per day. Items assessed general hopelessness, hopelessness about specific stressors, and suicide urge intensity. We conducted a nested within-person (1-1-1) mediation model. All variables were person mean-centered, with scores reflecting deviations from each person’s averages. All specific hopelessness facets, except financial, were correlated with general hopelessness, which was related to suicidal urges. Partner, social, home, and health hopelessness had direct associations with suicidal urges, but only social, home, and health hopelessness remained significant after accounting for general hopelessness. General hopelessness fully mediated the specific hopelessness effects of work and partner, and partially mediated social, home, and health hopelessness on suicide urges. This study provides evidence of the nuanced role of hopelessness on suicide urges and the importance of targeting specific facets of hopelessness in interventions.
