# “I'd Rather Be Alone.” Examining the Interactive Effects of Social Proximity and Social Preference on Suicidal Thinking

## TL;DR

This study explores how being alone or with others, and the desire for social interaction, affects suicidal thoughts in young adults.

## Contribution

The study introduces a dynamic model showing how social preference interacts with social proximity to influence suicidal ideation.

## Key findings

- Preferring to be alone was linked to increased suicidal thinking, regardless of actual social situation.
- Preferring to be with others was associated with reduced suicidal thinking.
- Social context interacts with personal preference to influence suicide risk.

## Abstract

Emerging and young adulthood is associated with heightened risk for suicide, with interpersonal factors potentially exerting disproportionate effects during this critical life stage. Research examining the interplay of subjective and objective interpersonal factors for suicide ideation (SI) in daily life is limited.

Dynamic structural equation models were used to analyze ecological momentary assessment data (21 days; 7 semi‐random daily surveys) in a sample of at‐risk young adults (N = 140) to test within‐person main and interactive effects of objective social proximity (alone vs. not alone) and subjective social preference (desire to be alone or with others) on SI severity concurrently and prospectively over 2‐h intervals in daily life.

Preferring to be alone (while alone or with others) was associated with intraindividual near‐term increases in SI severity, whereas preferring to be with others (while alone or with others) was associated with near‐term decreases in SI severity.

Being with others can be either a risk or protective factor for near‐term SI severity depending on whether the present company is desired. Considering multiple interpersonal factors combined may be necessary to understand and treat SI as these factors may either buffer or confer greater near‐term risk depending on other factors.