6.155 SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS, AND SELF-HARM AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-aged individuals in the United States (CDC, 2014). While there has been an expansion of data collection on risk factors for suicidal behavior in the past decade, far fewer studies have examined factors that are protective against suicide, and there is a need for this type of research (O’Connor & Nock, 2014). The present study sought to examine whether increased social connectedness can act as a buffer for risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB), especially among emerging and young adults who have experienced an increased number of SLEs.