Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Sara Bridges

Committee Member

Eliw Jones

Committee Member

James Murphy

Committee Member

Suzanne Lease

Abstract

In light of the heightened suicide risk among male Veterans, identifying contributing factors remains a critical priority. One of the most empirically supported models explaining suicide risk, the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), highlights the importance of interpersonal connection. Although intimate partner distress is commonly reported among Veterans who die by suicide, little is known about how intimacy within romantic relationships functions as a protective or risk factor within the IPTS framework. Further, while meaning in life has emerged as a robust protective factor against suicide—and is shaped by both intimate connection and IPTS-related interpersonal risks—research exploring how these dynamics intersect remains limited. The present study predicted that emotional numbing symptoms in male Veterans would relate to interpersonal risk factors—specifically perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness—and that those risk factors, in turn, would relate to lower meaning in life. Emotional intimacy and subjective sexual functioning were a primary focus and tested in two distinct roles: first, as mediators of the relationship between emotional numbing and interpersonal risk, and second, as independent variables hypothesized to relate to greater meaning in life indirectly through interpersonal risk factors. Drawing on IPTS and attachment theory, two mediation models were evaluated. Data were drawn from a sample of male Veterans (N = 157) recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Study hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), allowing for the simultaneous examination of direct and indirect effects. Results partially supported both models. Emotional numbing was associated with poorer emotional and sexual intimacy, which in turn related to increased thwarted belongingness but not perceived burdensomeness. Emotional intimacy emerged as a mediator linking emotional numbing to meaning in life via belonging, though the effect was modest. While some indirect effects were statistically significant, most were small, suggesting the influence of additional unmeasured factors. Importantly, the association between sexual functioning and meaning in life was not mediated by interpersonal risk, but a strong direct relationship was observed. This suggests that, for male Veterans, emotionally satisfying sexual experiences may enhance meaning in life independently of perceived burdensomeness or social inclusion. Overall, findings underscore the role of emotionally and sexually intimate relationships in supporting both interpersonal connection and existential well-being in this high-risk population. Keywords: male Veterans, suicide risk, intimacy processes, romantic relationships, interpersonal theory, meaning in life, PTSD

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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