Role of Coping Self-efficacy in Depression and Suicide-related Behaviours: A Review of Literature

Suicidal deaths have drastically increased, with teenagers and young adults being the most affected. Although depression is most commonly associated with suicide, researchers are beginning to acknowledge suicide-related behaviours as comorbid with mental health disorders instead of it being just a symptom of disorders. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy proposes that one’s belief in their own coping abilities, also known as coping self-efficacy, influences the decision of whether one wants to engage in coping behaviours or not and how much effort to invest in the coping behaviour. Thus, individuals with low coping self-efficacy may engage in ineffective and passive strategies such as avoidance which does not resolve the problem, resulting in recurrent stress. Persistent stress results in feelings of defeat and entrapment, which if combined with low coping self-efficacy and inefficient coping, results in a tunnel vision where suicide-related behaviours seem like the only solution. Coping self-efficacy comprises of three dimensions, namely, stopping unwanted thoughts and emotions, problem-solving and getting support from friends and family, each influencing coping strategies differently and affecting mental health and well-being. This literature review presents findings and theories on depression, suicide-related behaviours, dimensions of coping self-efficacy and its influence on coping behaviours and mental health.