Linking Emotional Regulation Difficulties and Suicidal Ideation: A Network Analysis in Ecuadorian Medical and Nursing Students

Objective To examine the connections between difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) and suicidal ideation (SI) in a sample of medical and nursing students in Ecuador. Method A nonregularized network analysis was applied to identify interconnections between nodes across theoretical communities. Participants The study included 618 students from four Ecuadorian universities enrolled in medicine and nursing. Ages ranged from 18 to 43 years ( M = 20.33; SD = 2.32). Results DER and SI formed a network of appropriate density with a small-world structure. The constructs clustered into clearly defined theoretical communities. Within-group relations were positive, while two nodes acted as bridges linking both communities through positive associations. Conclusion DER and SI form a dense, robust, and stable network, offering insight into complex internal dynamics observed among medical and nursing students in Ecuador.