EXPLORING THE ROLE OF LOCUS OF CONTROL AND FLOURISHING IN SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONG INDIAN ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Background
Suicide remains a significant public health concern, particularly among young adults, with engineering students facing elevated risks due to academic pressures. This study investigates the protective role of locus of control and flourishing in mitigating suicidal ideation among adolescent engineering students in an Indian technical institute.

Material and methods
Drawing upon a sample of 796 participants, data was collected via an online questionnaire assessing locus of control, flourishing, and suicidal ideation.

Results
Findings revealed a significant indirect effect of locus of control on suicidal ideation through flourishing, supporting the hypothesized mediation model. While no direct association was found between locus of control and suicidal ideation, flourishing emerged as a significant mediator, indicating that higher levels of flourishing were associated with reduced suicidal ideation. Additionally, an inverse relationship was observed between locus of control and flourishing, suggesting that an internal locus of control is conducive to higher levels of flourishing.

Conclusions
These findings contribute to the understanding of protective factors against suicidal ideation and highlight the importance of fostering flourishing and internalized modes of thinking in suicide prevention efforts among college students. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.