Assessment of suicide ideation and parasuicide: hopelessness and social desirability

Correlation of Suicidal Thoughts and Toxoplasmosis in Patients With Depression

Objective

We investigated the correlation between serum anti-Toxplasma gondii IgG and suicidal thoughts in depressive patients.

Methods

Depressive patients with (n = 100) and without (n = 100) suicidal thoughts along with 100 healthy control subjects were recruited for this study. In all three groups, a semi-structured clinical interview form called Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) Axis-I Disorder (SCID-I), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), suicidal behavior scale, and a sociodemographic data form were completed. Sera from all participants were taken, and anti-toxoplasma IgG was measured by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)-Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay. Statistical analysis of the data was performed.

Results

The serum anti-toxoplasma IgG levels of patients with suicidal thoughts were significantly higher than those without suicidal thoughts and the controls, which were 80.04 ± 40.66, 78 ± 14.82, and 19.98 ± 14.65, respectively, p < 0.001. There was no correlation between toxoplasma IgG and HAMD score in patients lacking suicidal thoughts (r = -0.112, p = 0.463).

Conclusion

This study shows a correlation between seropositivity for anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG and depression with suicidal thoughts.

The Mediator Effect of Meaningfulness on the Relationship Between Schizotypy Traits and Suicidality

Introduction: Previous studies have found that schizotypy can predict suicide, and that meaningfulness has influential effects on suicidality in the general population. However, it is still not clear whether meaningfulness is associated with suicidality in individuals with schizotypy. The aim of this study was to assess the mediating effects of meaningfulness in the relationship between schizotypy and suicidality.

Method: We recruited 2,615 university students (including undergraduates and postgraduates; mean age = 18.35, SD = 0.81; males, 39%) to participate in our study, and used the Meaningful Life Measure (Chinese, revised) to assess their experiences of meaningfulness, the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire (Chinese version) to evaluate participants' suicidal thoughts and attempts, and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire to examine their personal schizotypal traits.

Results: Meaningfulness was found to be inversely related to the other two factors, and schizotypy was positively associated with suicidality. The correlation between schizotypy and suicidality was reduced when meaningfulness was included, which may suggest that meaningfulness can partly mediate this relationship, accounting for 55.47% of the association.

Conclusions: Prior research has suggested that assessing meaningfulness could provide more detailed information about suicide risk in individuals with schizotypy. Our study found that improving perceptions of meaningfulness can be an effective intervention in reducing suicide risk among people with schizotypy.

Alternative Models Examination and Gender Measurement Invariance of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire among Nigerian Adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the factor structures of the a priori alternative models of the 12-items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), its psychometric characteristics and gender measurement invariance in a sample of non-clinical Nigerian adolescents (n=1326; Mage=15.16).

METHODS

The sample consisted of 606 (45.7%) males, who completed the GHQ-12 in addition to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). We compared 21 models to identify which has the best fit indices applying confirmatory factor analysis. Gender measurement invariance was examined with nested multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA).

RESULTS

The model that best captures psychological distress was a three-factor model that was initially described among the Australian general population (CFI=0.952, SRMR=0.0310, RMSEA=0.042) (90%CI=0.035-0.049). The internal consistencies (ω) of this model and its dimensions were modestly satisfactory. The criterion validity of this model was supported via significant correlations with the other study measures. MGCFA supported the configural, metric and scalar gender invariances of this model.

CONCLUSION

A three-factor GHQ-12 model (anhedonia/sleep disturbances; social performance and Loss of confidence) is useful as a psychological distress assessment tool among Nigerian adolescents.

Risk Factors for Domestic Violence in Women and Predictors of Development of Mental Disorders in These Women

INTRODUCTION

Based on the hypothesis that women who exposed to physical violence had lower education and income levels than those who did not, and those who got married earlier and had marriage with unwanted people had higher psychiatric disorders, the aims of this study were to determine risk factors for domestic violence and predictors of psychiatric impairment in women exposed to domestic violence.

METHODS

We used random selection method and included 400 married women above 18 years of age living in Adiyaman province. Socio-demographic data and exposure to physical violence and sexual coercion for participants were evaluated by a structured questionnaire. Depression scores of the women were evaluated by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and anxiety scores were evaluated by Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Suicidal ideas of the subjects were evaluated by 17 item Suicide Intent Scale and their suicide plans, attempts, thoughts, and risk of recurrence were evaluated by 4 item Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire.

RESULTS

65,5% of the women (n=262) reported no violence, 19,3% (n=77) reported violence only from their spouses, 5,2% (n=21) reported violence from people other than spouse, and 10% (n=40) reported physical violence from both their spouses and other people. Logistic regression analysis showed that employment status of spouses, presence of medical/psychiatric illness in spouses, the acceptance of the view that 'Husbands can sometimes beat' by women and presence of psychiatric illness in women predicted domestic violence against these women from their spouses. Logistic regression analysis also revealed that education level, and presence of physical or sexual violence from their spouses predicted development of psychiatric disorders in women survivors of domestic violence.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that opinion of women about domestic violence, presence of a psychiatric disorder in women, employment status of spouse, and presence of a medical/psychiatric illness in spouse predicted physical violence against these women. In addition, education level of women, and presence of domestic violence from their spouses predicted development of psychiatric disorder. Knowing the factors that trigger physical violence and related psychiatric impairments is really important for development of preventive and therapeutic interventions.

[Suicide risk in somatoform disorders]

BACKGROUND

The somatoform disorders include a group of complex disorders consist of somatic symptoms for which there are no identifiable organic cause or pathogenetic mechanisms. Given the importance of these disorders and the need to clarify the diagnosis of somatoform disorder affecting the suicide risk, we took into consideration the scientific literature to investigate the correlation between the two conditions.

METHODS

We performed a bibliographic search through Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, SciELO, ORCID, Google Scholar, DOAJ using the following terms: somatoform, somatization disorder, pain disorder AND psychological factor, suicide, parasuicide, suicidality.

RESULTS

In all studies reported in our review, the suicidal behavior risk is high. But in the majority, the data are relatively unreliable because it takes into account the category nosographic "Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders", too wide to be able to identify the clinical characteristics of patients at risk of only somatoform disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Several studies conclude that psychiatric comorbidity increases the suicide risk: patients with two or more psychiatric disorders are more likely to commit a suicide attempt; in particular if there is a axis I diagnosis, the risk reduplicate. The somatization disorder seems to have a significant psychiatric comorbidity in particular with anxious and affective disorders spectrum.

Stress-Related Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation: The Roles of Rumination and Depressive Symptoms Vary by Gender

There is a growing body of literature suggesting that reactions to stressful life events, such as intrusive thoughts, physiological hyperarousal, and cognitive/behavioral avoidance (i.e., stress-related symptoms) may increase risk for thinking about and attempting suicide. Cognitive vulnerability models have identified rumination (i.e., perseverating on a negative mood) as a maladaptive response that may increase risk for suicidal behavior, as it has also been linked to depression. The present study examined the direct and indirect effects of stress-related symptoms on suicidal ideation through rumination and depressive symptoms. Participants were 1375 young adults, primarily non-White (78 %) females (72 %), recruited from a public university in the Northeastern U.S., who completed measures of stress-related symptoms (as a response to a stressful event), rumination, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. The relation between stress-related symptoms and suicidal ideation was accounted for by the brooding subtype of rumination and depressive symptoms among females. Depressive symptoms, but not rumination, better accounted for suicidal ideation among males. These findings suggest that the role of brooding and depressive symptoms in the relationship between stress-related symptoms and suicidal ideation may vary by gender.

The ABC's of Suicide Risk Assessment: Applying a Tripartite Approach to Individual Evaluations

There is considerable need for accurate suicide risk assessment for clinical, screening, and research purposes. This study applied the tripartite affect-behavior-cognition theory, the suicidal barometer model, classical test theory, and item response theory (IRT), to develop a brief self-report measure of suicide risk that is theoretically-grounded, reliable and valid. An initial survey (n = 359) employed an iterative process to an item pool, resulting in the six-item Suicidal Affect-Behavior-Cognition Scale (SABCS). Three additional studies tested the SABCS and a highly endorsed comparison measure. Studies included two online surveys (Ns = 1007, and 713), and one prospective clinical survey (n = 72; Time 2, n = 54). Factor analyses demonstrated SABCS construct validity through unidimensionality. Internal reliability was high (α = .86-.93, split-half = .90-.94)). The scale was predictive of future suicidal behaviors and suicidality (r = .68, .73, respectively), showed convergent validity, and the SABCS-4 demonstrated clinically relevant sensitivity to change. IRT analyses revealed the SABCS captured more information than the comparison measure, and better defined participants at low, moderate, and high risk. The SABCS is the first suicide risk measure to demonstrate no differential item functioning by sex, age, or ethnicity. In all comparisons, the SABCS showed incremental improvements over a highly endorsed scale through stronger predictive ability, reliability, and other properties. The SABCS is in the public domain, with this publication, and is suitable for clinical evaluations, public screening, and research.

The Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Neglect with Suicide Attempts in an Adult Unipolar Depression Sample

INTRODUCTION

Unipolar depression is an important psychiatric disorder that leads to an increased risk of suicide. However, not all depression patients attempt suicide. This reflects the presence of other factors that may be related to suicide other than the sole presence of psychopathology. Drawing upon the clinical evidence linking childhood abuse and neglect experiences with suicide; this study aimed at investigating the relationship of childhood abuse and neglect experiences with suicide attempts in patients with unipolar depression.

METHOD

One hundred six unipolar depressed patients between the ages of 18 and 65 were included in the study. Patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders, neurological disorders, alcohol-substance abuse problems, and a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score of <17 were excluded from the study. The BDI, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), and the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) were administered to all patients. Suicidal and non-suicidal cases were determined according to clinic interviews and the patients' responses in the SBQ.

RESULTS

Sixty-four patients have previously attempted suicide. Although there was no significant difference between unipolar depression patients with a history of suicide attempts and patients with no history of suicide attempts in terms of average age, education and marital status, however, female/male ratio in the former group was determined to be significantly higher. BDI, STAXI continuous anger and outward anger average scores, and average CTQ-28 emotional abuse, physical abuse and total scores were significantly higher in the group with a history of suicide attempts. The predictors of suicide attempts were higher BDI and CTQ-28 physical abuse scores and female gender. The predictors for average SBQ scores were determined as higher BDI, CTQ-28 sexual abuse, and STAXI outward anger and continuous anger scores.

CONCLUSION

Childhood physical and sexual abuse experiences are important factors in evaluating the presence of suicide attempts and risk of suicide in patients with unipolar depression. Careful questioning of traumatic childhood experiences during psychiatric examinations and monitoring of depression patients is crucial in determining treatment protocols and preventing suicide attempts.

RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR: PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK MODELS WITH TURKISH ADOLESCENTS

This study aimed to test three different suicide models for adolescents residing in a Turkish City, Batman. A total of 605 adolescents from five different high schools participated in this study (M=411, F=190, sex of 4 participants not recorded). A Psychosocial Variables Form (developed for this study), the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire (Offer, Ostrov, Howard, & Dolan, 1989, adapted by Sahin 1993), the Adolescence Life Events Questionnaire (Kapci & Terzi-Unsal, 2001), the Piers-Harris Self-Worth Scale for Children (Harris & Piers, 1969, adapted by Catakli & Oner, 1996), the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire (Linehan & Nielsen, 1981, adapted by Bayam, Dilbaz, Bitlis, Holat, & Tuzer, 1995), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (Beck, Weissman, Lester, & Trexler, 1974, adapted by Durak, 1994), the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (Dilbaz, Holat, Bayam, Tuzer, & Bitlis, 1995), the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1992, adapted by Sabin & Durak, 1994) and the Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support (Zimmet, Dahlen, Zimmet, & Farley, 1998, adapted by Eker & Arkar, 1995) were utilized. The data were analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling. The findings suggest that adolescent life events, psychosocial variables, social support and self-image are secondary risk factors for adolescent suicides, predicting self-worth, psychological health and hopelessness. These variables, in turn, predicted suicide ideation – identified as a primary risk factor – that predicted suicide behaviors. The results are discussed in the context of primary-secondary risk factors for adolescent suicides.

ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN SUICIDE IDEATORS AND NON-IDEATORS

Research has shown that college students have a high risk of engaging in suicidal behaviors. Gaining more information about the belief systems of students and the adaptive reasons for living, lacking in suicide ideators, may provide valuable information about these behaviors and ways to prevent them. This study examined reasons for living in male and female college student suicide ideators and non-ideators in order to identify adaptive reasons for living, lacking in suicide ideators. Mean scores of the Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL) subscales and total score were used. Each subject answered a demographic questionnaire, a suicide questionnaire and the RFL. Analyses of Variance revealed a main effect for ideation status with non-ideators scoring higher than ideators on Survival and Coping Beliefs, Responsibility to Friends, and on the RFL total score. A main effect for sex was found on Fear of Suicide and Responsibility to Family subscales with women scoring higher than men. Women did not describe themselves as suicide ideators more often than did men.