Emotion-related impulsivity and suicidal ideation: Towards a more specific model

OBJECTIVES

Suicidal ideation is a pervasive and painful experience that varies considerably in its phenomenology. Here, we consider how one key risk variable might inform our understanding of variation in suicidal ideation: emotion-related impulsivity, the trait-like tendency towards unconstrained speech, behaviour, and cognition in the face of intense emotions. We hypothesized that emotion-related impulsivity would be tied to specific features, including severity, perceived lack of controllability, more rapidly fluctuating course, higher scores on a measure of acute suicidal affective disturbance, and more emotional and cognitive disturbance as antecedents.

METHODS

We recruited two samples of adults (Ns = 421, 221) through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), with oversampling of those with suicidal ideation. Both samples completed psychometrically sound self-report measures online to assess emotion- and non-emotion-related dimensions of impulsivity and characteristics of suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

One form of emotion-related impulsivity related to the severity, uncontrollability, dynamic course, and affective and cognitive precursors of ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite limitations of the cross-sectional design and self-report measures, the current findings highlight the importance of specificity in considering key dimensions of impulsivity and suicidal ideation.

Emotion-related impulsivity and rumination: Unique and conjoint effects on suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury across two samples

INTRODUCTION

Rumination and emotion-related impulsivity predict suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Because rumination and emotion-related impulsivity, though, are highly correlated, we consider their unique vs. conjoint influence on suicidal ideation and self-harm.

METHOD

Across two samples of adults (N's = 171 and 191), we examined how rumination and emotion-related impulsivity relate to suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and NSSI. We assess the more general process of repetitive negative thinking and the more specific process of suicide-related rumination. Participants completed the Three-Factor Impulsivity Index and the self-report Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Those in sample 1 completed the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire and the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, and those in Sample 2 completed the Suicide Rumination Scale.

RESULTS

Emotion-related impulsivity and both forms of rumination showed robust bivariate correlations with suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and NSSI. Neither rumination or impulsivity related to suicide attempts controlling for ideation or to NSSI. In multivariable analyses, emotion-related impulsivity but not general rumination was tied to suicidal ideation. In contrast, suicide-related rumination was more directly tied to suicidal ideation than was impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide support for a more nuanced approach to the forms of impulsivity and rumination related to suicidal ideation.