Suicidal thoughts and emotion competence

Studying the social mind: An updated summary of findings from the Vietnam Head Injury Study

Lesion mapping studies allow us to evaluate the potential causal contribution of specific brain areas to human cognition and complement other cognitive neuroscience methods, as several authors have recently pointed out. Here, we present an updated summary of the findings from the Vietnam Head Injury Study (VHIS) focusing on the studies conducted over the last decade, that examined the social mind and its intricate neural and cognitive underpinnings. The VHIS is a prospective, long-term follow-up study of Vietnam veterans with penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI) and healthy controls (HC). The scope of the work is to present the studies from the latest phases (3 and 4) of the VHIS, 70 studies since 2011, when the Raymont et al. paper was published (Raymont et al., 2011). These studies have contributed to our understanding of human social cognition, including political and religious beliefs, theory of mind, but also executive functions, intelligence, and personality. This work finally discusses the usefulness of lesion mapping as an approach to understanding the functions of the human brain from basic science and clinical perspectives.

Brain networks involved in the influence of religion on empathy in male Vietnam War veterans

Humans all over the world believe in spirits and deities, yet how the brain supports religious cognition remains unclear. Drawing on a unique sample of patients with penetrating traumatic brain injuries (pTBI) and matched healthy controls (HCs) we investigate dependencies of religious cognition on neural networks that represent (1) others agents’ intentions (Theory of Mind, ToM) and (2) other agents’ feelings (Empathy). Extending previous observations that ToM networks are recruited during prayer, we find that people with vmPFC damage report higher scores on the personal relationship with God inventory even when they are not praying. This result offers evidence that it is the modulation of ToM networks that support beliefs in supernatural agents. With respect to empathetic processing, we observed that vmPFC and pSTS/TPJ lesions mediated by the strength of the personal relationship with God affect empathetic responses. We suggest that the neurological networks underpinning God representations amplify human empathetic responses. The cultural evolutionary study of religion has argued that supernatural beliefs evoke pro-social responses because people fear the wrath of Gods. Our findings imply greater attention should be paid to the mechanisms by which religious cognition may regulate empathetic responses to others.

Predictors of Unbearability, Unlovability, and Unsolvability in Veterans With Military-Sexual-Trauma-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Military sexual trauma (MST) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) both increase risk for suicidal self-directed violence (SDV). Suicide cognitions (i.e., unbearability, unlovability, and unsolvability) are strong predictors of future suicidal SDV. The present study investigated potential predictors of unbearability, unlovability, and unsolvability in veterans with MST-related PTSD. Suicide cognitions, depression, PTSD, quality of life, trauma-related negative cognitions, physical health functioning, mental health functioning, and childhood sexual assault were assessed in 12 male and 103 female veterans with MST-related PTSD. Higher depression scores, greater trauma-related negative cognitions about self, and poorer physical health functioning predicted increased unbearability scores. Greater trauma-related negative cognitions about self and self-blame, higher level of education, and higher depression scores predicted increased unlovability scores. Higher depression scores and greater trauma-related negative cognitions about self predicted increased unsolvability scores. In veterans with MST-related PTSD who express unbearability, unlovability, and unsolvability, assessing and addressing depression, trauma-related negative cognitions about self and self-blame, and physical health functioning may be an important step in reducing SDV.

Left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex lesions reduce suicidal ideation in penetrating traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between suicidal ideation (SI), structural brain damage, and cognitive deficits in patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI).

METHODS

Vietnam War veterans (n = 142) with pTBI to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) underwent combination of neuropsychological and psychiatric examinations and non-contrast CT brain scan. Patients were divided into SI positive (SI+) and SI negative (SI-) groups according to the SI item of the Beck Depression Inventory.

RESULTS

Lesions to the left rostrolateral PFC (rlPFC) were associated with a lower risk of SI independent of depression and global functioning. Left rlPFC lesion also reduced abstract reasoning skills, which mediated the lesion effects on suicide ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

The left rlPFC plays a crucial role in SI independently of depression and global functioning.

The Association Between Emotional Intelligence and Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic Review

Background: Some meta-analyses have demonstrated the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and different health indicators. With the increase of suicide cases in the world, more and more professionals have been interested in the link between both variables.

Aim: To study all the available evidence on the association between EI and suicidal behavior.

Method: We systematically reviewed all available literature (in English or Spanish) on the relationship between both variables through the main databases.

Results: Twenty-five articles were included. EI and suicidal behavior correlated inversely in almost all the articles that the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), The Emotional Intelligence Test (EIT), The Spanish Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), and The Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS/SSEIT), Barchard's Emotional Intelligence Scale, were used, that is, the higher suicidal behavior level the lower the EI score. The same results were found in two out of four investigations that used the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) between clarity (emotional understanding) and emotional repair (emotional regulation) and suicidal behavior. Two out of three studies that used the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) found that only the Strategic component of EI (emotional understanding and regulation) was a protective factor.

Conclusions: The results appear to indicate that a high level of EI plays an important role in protecting against suicidal behavior, and should thus be integrated into suicide prevention programs.

Suicidal ideation in adult ADHD: Gender difference with a specific psychopathological profile

OBJECTIVE

To investigate suicidal ideation (SI) in patients with adult ADHD (aADHD), and its association with gender and psychopathology.

METHODS

Case-control study with 206 participants (patients = 103/healthy controls = 103; matched on gender, age, and education). SI was assessed by the Beck-I Depression-Inventory. The Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) was used to characterize the ADHD symptom-domains.

RESULTS

Compared to controls, the likelihood of SI was significantly higher in females with ADHD (odds ratio[OR] = 25.0 (95%CI:2.98-200.0); the difference was not significant in males (OR = 2.09 (95%CI:0.75-5.81). In females, "Problems with Self-Concept" scores on the CAARS showed the closest association with SI (OR = 5.60,95%CI:2.34-13.41]), while in males it was "Impulsivity" scores (OR = 3.01,95%CI:1.50-6.06).

CONCLUSION

Our findings extend previously described transdiagnostic associations of specific psychopathological risk factors to aADHD, including problems with self-concept and impulsivity, which are robustly associated with suicidality across diagnostic boundaries. In addition, they indicate that these associations exhibit pronounced gender-specificity in aADHD.

Emotional intelligence is associated with connectivity within and between resting state networks

Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as an individual’s capacity to accurately perceive, understand, reason about, and regulate emotions, and to apply that information to facilitate thought and achieve goals. Although EI plays an important role in mental health and success in academic, professional and social realms, the neurocircuitry underlying this capacity remains poorly characterized, and no study to date has yet examined the relationship between EI and intrinsic neural network function. Here, in a sample of 54 healthy individuals (28 women, 26 men), we apply independent components analysis (ICA) with dual regression to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired while subjects were resting in the scanner to investigate brain circuits (intrinsic resting state networks) whose activity is associated with greater self-reported (i.e. Trait) and objectively measured (i.e. Ability) EI. We show that higher Ability EI, but not Trait EI, is associated with stronger negatively correlated spontaneous fMRI signals between the basal ganglia/limbic network (BGN) and posterior default mode network (DMN), and regions involved in emotional processing and regulation. Importantly, these findings suggest that the functional connectivity within and between intrinsic networks associated with mentation, affective regulation, emotion processing, and reward are strongly related to ability EI.

Understanding the Links Between Self-Report Emotional Intelligence and Suicide Risk: Does Psychological Distress Mediate This Relationship Across Time and Samples?

Objective: In the last decades, increasing attention has been paid to examining psychological resources that might contribute to our understanding of suicide risk. Although Emotional Intelligence (EI) is one dimension that has been linked with decreased suicidal ideation and behaviors, we detected several gaps in the literature in this area regarding the research designs and samples involved. In this research, we aimed to test a mediator model considering self-report EI, psychological distress and suicide risk across samples adopting both cross-sectional and prospective designs in two independent studies. Method: In Study 1, our purpose was to examine the potential role of psychological distress as a mediator in the relationship between self-report EI and suicide risk in a community sample comprised of 438 adults (270 women; mean age: 33.21 years). In Study 2, we sought to examine the proposed mediator model considering a 2-month prospective design in a sample of college students (n = 330 in T1; n = 311 in T2; 264 women; mean age: 22.22 years). Results: In Study 1, we found that psychological distress partially mediated the effect of self-report EI on suicide risk. More interestingly, findings from Study 2 showed that psychological distress fully mediated the relationship between self-report EI and suicide risk at Time 2. Conclusion: These results point out the role of psychological distress as a mediator in the association between self-report EI and suicide risk. These findings suggest an underlying process by which self-report EI may act as a protective factor against suicidal ideation and behaviors. In line with the limitations of our work, plausible avenues for future research and interventions are discussed.

Understanding Suicide Risk within the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Framework: Insights, Challenges, and Future Research Considerations

Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Prior research has focused primarily on sociodemographic and psychiatric risk factors with little improvement in the prediction or prevention of suicidal behavior over time. The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) may be an especially useful framework for advancing research in this area. This paper provides a brief and broad overview of research on suicidal behavior relating to each of the RDoC domains-highlighting the RDoC construct(s) where research has focused, construct(s) where research is lacking, and suggestions for future research directions. We also discuss major challenges for suicide research within the RDoC framework, including the intersection of RDoC domains, interaction of domains with the environment, incorporation of developmental stage, integration of distal and proximal processes, and inclusion of suicide-specific constructs. We conclude by underscoring important considerations for future research aimed at using the RDoC framework to study suicidal behavior and other forms of psychopathology.

Attenuating the Negative Impact of Unemployment: The Interactive Effects of Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Well-Being on Suicide Risk

A growing body of research has demonstrated that deficits in well-being may be related to increased suicide risk, but there is only a limited number of studies that have focused on specific protective factors that can serve as a buffer against suicidal ideation and behaviours. Given that unemployment may be a factor leading to increased risk for suicide, this study assessed whether perceived EI might be a potential moderator in the relationship between life satisfaction/happiness and suicidal behaviours in a relatively large sample of unemployed individuals. Participants were 1125 unemployed (506 men and 619 women) who completed satisfaction with life and happiness questionnaires, the Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Test. Consistent with the interaction hypothesis, lower scores in life satisfaction and happiness were associated with higher levels of current suicidal behaviours, and perceived EI scores moderated these relationships. Interventions targeting well-being via the promotion of emotional abilities may be useful in the prevention of suicidal ideation in the unemployed. The implications for these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Effect of Probiotics on Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

It has been reported that gut probiotics play a major role in the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain. Probiotics may be essential to people with depression, which remains a global health challenge, as depression is a metabolic brain disorder. However, the efficacy of probiotics for depression is controversial. This study aimed to systematically review the existing evidence on the effect of probiotics-based interventions on depression. Randomized, controlled trials, identified through screening multiple databases and grey literature, were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software using a fixed-effects model. The meta-analysis showed that probiotics significantly decreased the depression scale score (MD (depressive disorder) = −0.30, 95% CI (−0.51–−0.09), p = 0.005) in the subjects. Probiotics had an effect on both the healthy population (MD = −0.25, 95% CI (−0.47–−0.03), p = 0.03) and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) (MD = −0.73, 95% CI (−1.37–−0.09), p = 0.03). Probiotics had an effect on the population aged under 60 (MD = −0.43, 95% CI (−0.72–−0.13), p = 0.005), while it had no effect on people aged over 65 (MD = −0.18, 95% CI (−0.47–0.11), p = 0.22). This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis with the goal of determining the effect of probiotics on depression. We found that probiotics were associated with a significant reduction in depression, underscoring the need for additional research on this potential preventive strategy for depression.