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Isaeva ER, Ryzhova DM, Stepanova AV, Mitrev IN. Assessment of Suicide Risk in Patients with Depressive Episodes Due to Affective Disorders and Borderline Personality Disorder: A Pilot Comparative Study. Brain Sci 2024; 14:463. [PMID: 38790442 PMCID: PMC11119353 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This study assessed suicidal risk in patients suffering from non-psychotic depressive disorders within various clinical and nosological forms (F31-F34 mood disorders and F60.31-emotionally unstable personality disorder). Clinical and psychological features were presented, as well as predictors of suicidal risk in patients of these groups. We performed a comparative analysis of the anxiety and depression level, the level of mental pain, fear of death and the severity of anti-suicidal motives in patients with affective disorders and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Based on the results, 100% of patients in these clinical nosological groups were found to have a high level of suicidal risk. Patients with affective disorders have weak anti-suicidal motives and are not fully aware of the consequences of their own death. Patients with BPD have a higher suicidal risk than patients with affective disorders; they are characterized by less pronounced social orientation, demonstrativeness, self-centeredness, less pronounced levels of anxiety and fear of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rudolfovna Isaeva
- Department of General and Clinical Psychology, Academician I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 197022 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Daria Maksimovna Ryzhova
- Department of General and Clinical Psychology, Academician I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 197022 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Anna Vladimirovna Stepanova
- 10th Department—Center for Treatment of Depression and Anxiety, V. M. Bekhterev Psychiatry and Neurology National Medical Research Center, 192019 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Ivo Nestorov Mitrev
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
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Butler LB, Nooner KB. The Link between Suicidality and Electroencephalography Asymmetry: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN COLLEGE OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 21:419-428. [PMID: 37424411 PMCID: PMC10335909 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.22.1043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
As one of the leading causes of death globally, suicide has been researched extensively to better understand factors that confer risk or resilience for suicidality. Promising areas of the literature have focused on brain-based factors that might indicate susceptibility to suicide. Some studies have investigated the link between electroencephalography (EEG) asymmetry, referring to differences in electrical activity in the brain from the left to right hemisphere, and suicidality. The present study is a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of the literature to see if certain patterns in EEG asymmetry serve as a diathesis for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The results of the current investigation found that EEG asymmetry was not systematically related to suicide based on the literature reviewed. While the present review does not rule out all brain-based factors, the findings suggest that EEG asymmetry may not be a biomarker for suicidality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laine B. Butler
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA
| | - Kate B. Nooner
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA
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Chen S, Cheng Y, Zhao W, Zhang Y. Psychological pain in depressive disorder: A concept analysis. J Clin Nurs 2023; 32:4128-4143. [PMID: 36128944 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.16543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIM AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this paper is to identify a precise definition of the concept of psychological pain in the field of depressive disorder. BACKGROUND Psychological pain is widespread in patients with depressive disorder and plays a central role in the suicide process. However, psychological pain is currently complex and broadly defined and does not reflect the unique nature of psychological pain in depressed patients. DESIGN A concept analysis. METHODS Rodgers' evolutionary approach was used to analyse the concept of psychological pain in depressive disorders. PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Sinomed, CNKI, and Wanfang were searched and 49 articles met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS The key attributes of psychological pain were identified as negative affective perception, passive cognition and ineffective response, extreme behavioural tendency, and both state and trait characteristics. Antecedents included stressful life events, frustrated psychological needs, disease factors, physical factors, and negative cognitive biases. Consequences were the promotion of personal growth, enhanced meaning in life, low quality of life, barriers to treatment, high rates of psychiatric morbidity, self-harm, and suicide. CONCLUSION Psychological pain is a subjectively widespread, intense, and complex affective experience centered on feelings of suffering resulting from negative self-perceptions and ineffective coping based on personality traits. In addition, psychological pain has two traits: an immediate affective reflection arising from experiencing stressful life events and a persistent and stable emotional trait, respectively. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE This study provides a conceptual framework to help clinical staff expand their knowledge of psychological pain and distinguish it from related terms. Interventions should address both the antecedents and the consequences and so this study suggests that future interventions could be developed in terms of positive emotions. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION This study did not recruit participants, therefore details of participants will not be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Chen
- School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yin Cheng
- School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwei Zhao
- School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanhong Zhang
- Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Amico F, De Canditiis D, Castiglione F, Pascarella A, Venerelli N, Fagan JV, Yek JH, Brophy J. A resting state EEG study on depressed persons with suicidal ideation. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2023; 14:346-352. [PMID: 37063608 PMCID: PMC10102403 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric illness that is often associated with potentially life-threatening physiological changes and increased risk for suicidal behavior. Electroencephalography (EEG) research suggests an association between depression and specific frequency imbalances in the frontal brain region. Further, while recently developed technology has been proposed to simplify EEG data acquisition, more research is still needed to support its use in patients with MDD. Methods Using the 14-channel EMOTIV EPOC cap, we recorded resting state EEG from 15 MDD patients with and MDD persons with suicidal ideation (SI) vs. 12 healthy controls (HC) to investigate putative power spectral density (PSD) between-group differences at the F3 and F4 electrode sites. Specifically, we explored 1) between-group alpha power asymmetries (AA), 2) between-group differences in delta, theta, alpha and beta power, 3) between PSD data and the scores in the Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL), and Self-Disgust Questionnaire (SDS). Results When compared to HC, patients had higher scores on the BAI (p = 0.0018), BDI-II (p = 0.0001) or SDS (p = 0.0142) scale and lower scores in the RFL (p = 0.0006) scale. The PSD analysis revealed no between-group difference or correlation with questionnaire scores for any of the measures considered. Conclusions The present study could not confirm previous research suggesting frequency-specific anomalies in depressed persons with SI but might suggest that frontal EEG imbalances reflect greater anxiety and negative self-referencing. Future studies should confirm these findings in a larger population sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Amico
- Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St. James Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
- Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St. James Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
| | - Daniela De Canditiis
- Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo "M.Picone", Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Castiglione
- Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo "M.Picone", Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pascarella
- Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo "M.Picone", Rome, Italy
| | - Noemi Venerelli
- Dipartimento di Matematica G. Castelnuovo, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | | | - John, H. Yek
- Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
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Amico F, Frye RE, Shannon S, Rondeau S. Resting State EEG Correlates of Suicide Ideation and Suicide Attempt. J Pers Med 2023; 13:884. [PMID: 37373872 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13060884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Suicide is a global phenomenon that impacts individuals, families, and communities from all income groups and all regions worldwide. While it can be prevented if personalized interventions are implemented, more objective and reliable diagnostic methods are needed to complement interview-based risk assessments. In this context, electroencephalography (EEG) might play a key role. We systematically reviewed EEG resting state studies of adults with suicide ideation (SI) or with a history of suicide attempts (SAs). After searching for relevant studies using the PubMed and Web of Science databases, we applied the PRISMA method to exclude duplicates and studies that did not match our inclusion criteria. The selection process yielded seven studies, which suggest that imbalances in frontal and left temporal brain regions might reflect abnormal activation and correlate with psychological distress. Furthermore, asymmetrical activation in frontal and posterior cortical regions was detected in high-risk depressed persons, although the pattern in the frontal region was inverted in non-depressed persons. The literature reviewed suggests that SI and SA may be driven by separate neural circuits and that high-risk persons can be found within non-depressed populations. More research is needed to develop intelligent algorithms for the automated detection of high-risk EEG anomalies in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Amico
- Neotherapy, Second Level, 2225 N Commerce Pkwy Suite #6, Weston, FL 33326, USA
- Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine, 333 West Loop N. Ste 250, Houston, TX 77024, USA
| | - Richard E Frye
- Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation, Phoenix, AZ 85050, USA
| | - Scott Shannon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Wholeness Center, 2620 East Prospect Road, #190, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Steve Rondeau
- Wholeness Center, 2620 East Prospect Road, #190, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
- Axon EEG Solutions, Fort Collins, CO 80528, USA
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Cáceda R, Mirmina J, Kim DJ, Rafiaa M, Carbajal JM, Akram F, Lau J, Chacko M, Tedla A, Teng Y, Perlman G. Low global frontal brain activity is associated with non-planned or impulsive suicide attempts. A preliminary study. J Affect Disord 2023; 326:44-48. [PMID: 36708954 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide prevention is limited by the frequent non-planned or impulsive nature of suicidal behavior. For instance, 25-62 % of suicide attempts, occur within 30 min of the onset of suicidal ideation. We aimed to examine frontal brain activity in depressed patients following a suicide attempt and its relationship with the duration of the suicidal process. METHODS We recruited 35 adult patients within three days of a suicide attempt of at least moderate lethality. Duration of the suicidal process was recorded in a semi-structured interview, including suicide contemplation (time from onset of suicidal ideation to decision to kill oneself) and suicide action intervals (time from the decision to kill oneself to suicide attempt). Resting state EEG data from AF7, AF8, TP9 and TP10 leads was collected with a portable MUSE 2 headband system. The average frequency values throughout a 5-minute portable EEG recording were extracted for delta (1-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-13 Hz), and beta (13-30 Hz) waves. RESULTS Delta (r = 0.450, p = 0.021) and theta power (r = 0.395, p = 0.044) were positively correlated with the duration of the suicide action interval. There were no significant correlations of the suicide contemplation interval with clinical or EEG measures. Patients with suicide action interval shorter than 30 min showed lower delta power (U = 113, p = 0.049) compared with those with longer duration. CONCLUSIONS Lower theta and delta activity may reflect hindered cognitive control and inhibition in impulsive suicide attempters. Portable EEG may provide a valuable tool for clinical research and in the management of acutely suicidal patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Cáceda
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Psychiatry Service, Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, New York, USA.
| | - Julianne Mirmina
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Diane J Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Marianne Rafiaa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jessica M Carbajal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Faisal Akram
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jaisy Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Mason Chacko
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Alemante Tedla
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - York Teng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Greg Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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Cheng Y, Chen SY, Zhao WW, Zhang G, Wang TT, Wang ZQ, Zhang YH. Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric investigation of Chinese version of the Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale in patients with depressive disorder. Qual Life Res 2023; 32:905-914. [PMID: 36441384 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-022-03292-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and preliminarily test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale (OMMP). METHODS Psychometric investigation was performed on 240 depressed patients. The reliability of the Chinese version of the OMMP scale was expressed by internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability (2-week interval), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the 8-factor, 31-item OMMP was conducted to examine the construct validity. RESULTS The CFA showed that the modified model with 31 items had good reliability (Cronbach's α range = 0.691-0.871; ICC = 0.818). Criterion-related validity was also supported by significant and positive correlations between the eight factors and worst-ever suicidal ideation as well as depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION The results indicated the usefulness of the OMMP-31 for Chinese depressed patients. It is necessary to estimate psychological pain to improve suicide management in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Cheng
- Department of Nursing, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, China.,School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Shu-Yan Chen
- School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei-Wei Zhao
- Early Intervention Unit, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, China
| | - Ting-Ting Wang
- Science and Technology Department, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhao-Qin Wang
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjign, China
| | - Yan-Hong Zhang
- Department of Nursing, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, China. .,School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China.
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Xie W, Li H, Zou Y, Sun X, Shi C. A suicidal mind tends to maintain less negative information in visual working memory. Psychiatry Res 2018; 262:549-557. [PMID: 28967442 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The motivation to avoid psychological pain may characterize a suicidal mindset. This study examines how this motivational manifestation of suicidal ideation modulates the maintenance of affective information in visual working memory (WM). Forty-five outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and twenty-five healthy participants performed visual WM change localization tasks with emotional (e.g., positive or negative schematic facial expressions) and non-emotional (e.g., colors) stimuli. The number of items that participants retained in WM (i.e., capacity) for each of those stimuli was measured. Based on the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, MDD patients were categorized into high and low suicidal ideation groups. These two groups had comparable depression levels. In addition to showing a smaller overall WM capacity for emotionally neutral information (colors), MDD patients with high suicidal ideation retained fewer negative schematic facial stimuli in WM. This disproportional reduction in the amount of negative information held in visual WM was correlated with levels of suicidal ideation and psychological pain across participants. Together, these results reveal the impact of pain avoidance motivation on information processing in WM and provide a novel perspective to understand aberrant cognitive patterns that are potentially driven by maladaptive affective processing in individuals with higher suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Xie
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.
| | - Huanhuan Li
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.
| | - Yingmin Zou
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China; Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuemei Sun
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Shi
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China
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Meerwijk EL, Weiss SJ. Utility of a time frame in assessing psychological pain and suicide ideation. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3491. [PMID: 28652940 PMCID: PMC5483035 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Assessing psychological pain has been recommended as an integral part of a comprehensive suicide risk assessment. The Psychache Scale, an established measure of psychological pain, does not specify a time frame for when pain is experienced, which may inadvertently increase the likelihood of identifying individuals as being at elevated suicide risk when they complete the Psychache Scale based on psychological pain experienced at some undefined time in the past. Methods We conducted a national general population survey among United States adults to determine whether addition of a time frame to the instructions of the Psychache Scale would more accurately reflect current psychological pain and more effectively identify people with current suicide ideation. A between-subjects design was used where respondents were randomized to complete the original Psychache scale or a modified scale with time frame. Data were collected online from September 2015 to June 2016. A total of 242 respondents had complete psychological pain data: 133 completed the original Psychache Scale and 109 completed the Psychache Scale with time frame. Results Addition of a time frame did not result in differences in psychological pain scores. However, when screening for participants with current suicide ideation, 13% fewer false positives were observed with the modified scale at higher cut-off values than previously reported (38 vs. 24). The substantial increase in positive predictive value suggests that a time frame is a worthwhile addition to the Psychache Scale. Discussion We recommend using the Psychache Scale with a time frame and testing the cut-off score for suicide ideation in population samples that reflect the general population more accurately. Psychological pain cut-off scores in clinical samples have yet to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther L Meerwijk
- Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.,Current affiliation: VA Health Services Research & Development (Center for Innovation to Implementation), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States of America
| | - Sandra J Weiss
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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Verrocchio MC, Carrozzino D, Marchetti D, Andreasson K, Fulcheri M, Bech P. Mental Pain and Suicide: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:108. [PMID: 27378956 PMCID: PMC4913233 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mental pain, defined as a subjective experience characterized by perception of strong negative feelings and changes in the self and its function, is no less real than other types of grief. Mental pain has been considered to be a distinct entity from depression. We have performed a systematic review analyzing the relationship between mental pain and suicide by providing a qualitative data synthesis of the studies. METHODS We have conducted, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search for the literature in PubMed, Web Of Science, and Scopus. Search terms were "mental pain" "OR" "psychological pain" OR "psychache" combined with the Boolean "AND" operator with "suicid*." In addition, a manual search of the literature, only including the term "psychache," was performed on Google Scholar for further studies not yet identified. RESULTS Initial search identified 1450 citations. A total of 42 research reports met the predefined inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Mental pain was found to be a significant predictive factor of suicide risk, even in the absence of a diagnosed mental disorder. Specifically, mental pain is a stronger factor of vulnerability of suicidal ideation than depression. CONCLUSION Mental pain is a core clinical factor for understanding suicide, both in the context of mood disorders and independently from depression. Health care professionals need to be aware of the higher suicidal risk in patients reporting mental pain. In this regard, psychological assessment should include a clinimetric evaluation of mental pain in order to further detect its contribution to suicidal tendency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Verrocchio
- Department of Psychological, Health, and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University , Chieti , Italy
| | - Danilo Carrozzino
- Department of Psychological, Health, and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy; Psychiatric Research Unit, Mental Health Centre North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Daniela Marchetti
- Department of Psychological, Health, and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University , Chieti , Italy
| | - Kate Andreasson
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Mental Health Centre North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital , Hillerød , Denmark
| | - Mario Fulcheri
- Department of Psychological, Health, and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University , Chieti , Italy
| | - Per Bech
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Mental Health Centre North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital , Hillerød , Denmark
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