How Meaning in Life and Childhood Trauma Shape Suicidal Ideation, The Mediating Pathways of Coping Styles

Background Given the escalating crisis of suicidal ideation among university students, there is a clear need to understand the underlying psychological factors. Variables such as life meaning, history of childhood trauma, and available coping mechanisms are considered pivotal in its etiology. Therefore, the primary objective of this research was to assess a structural model mapping the associations between meaning in life and childhood trauma regarding suicidal ideation, with coping styles hypothesized to function as a mediating component. Methods The research methodology was established as descriptive and correlational, employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The pool of potential subjects comprised 4,149 students from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Adhering to the required participant-to-parameter ratio for SEM (10–15 participants per estimated parameter), the minimum required sample size was calculated to be approximately 280. In total, 350 students provided responses voluntarily through an electronic survey format. The variables were measured using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI), and the Lazarus–Folkman Coping Styles Questionnaire. Statistical computations were conducted using SPSS-25 and AMOS-24. Results An excellent model fit was achieved for the proposed framework. Analysis revealed that a higher sense of meaning in life significantly reduced suicidal ideation (P < 0.001), conversely, childhood trauma was significantly associated with increased suicidal ideation (P < 0.001). Importantly, the influence of meaning in life and childhood trauma on suicidal ideation was substantially channeled through both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping mechanisms (P < 0.001) for both mediating effects). Conclusion This study establishes meaning in life as a deterrent to suicidal ideation, contrasted with the risk-amplifying nature of childhood trauma in this student group. Coping styles were instrumental in elucidating the pathway connecting these psychological elements to suicidal thoughts. Thus, interventions aimed at reducing risk should focus on strengthening meaning-making capacities and instilling adaptive coping strategies for at-risk students.