Under Reporting of Suicide Ideation in US Army Population Screening: An Ongoing Challenge

Previous research in US Army Soldiers shows rates of mental health concerns as two to four times higher on anonymous surveys than on postdeployment health assessments. In this study, Soldiers presenting for health reassessment completed two questionnaires on suicide risk factors: one linked to the health assessment and one anonymous. About 5.1% of respondents reported suicide ideation on the anonymous questionnaire, 3.0% on the linked questionnaire, and 0.9% on the health reassessment. About 56.4% who reported suicide ideation anonymously told nobody of their thoughts. Current screening procedures identify only one in seven Soldiers experiencing suicide ideation and highlight the need for alternative risk‐detection strategies.     

Risk Factors of a Suicide Reattempt by Seasonality and the Method of a Previous Suicide Attempt: A Cohort Study in a Japanese Primary Care Hospital

Suicide has a great impact on the individual whose life is lost and the bereaved family members. The risk of a suicide reattempt is particularly high during the first 12 months after a suicide attempt. In this cohort study, risk factors for a suicide reattempt were explored among 291 patients at suicide risk. Clinical and demographic data were collected from a Japanese primary care hospital. Past psychiatric history and multiple diagnoses were associated with suicide reattempts in both genders. Drug overdose, past psychiatric history, and the summer season were linked to suicide reattempts among males. Past psychiatric history and multiple diagnoses were linked to suicide reattempts among females. Appropriate assessment of past psychiatric history, season and method of suicide attempt, gender, and diagnosis may play a role in preventing suicide.     

Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury in Adolescents: Characterization of the Disorder and the Issue of Distress and Impairment

Nonsuicidal self‐injury disorder (NSSID) is a condition in need of further study to assess the validity of the potential diagnosis and its suggested criteria. This study examined the NSSID diagnosis and investigated the distress/impairment criterion by comparing community adolescents who met all criteria for NSSID (n = 186) to adolescents with five or more nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) episodes (n = 314), and to a group of adolescents who met all criteria but negated that their NSSI caused them any distress or impairment, thus failing to meet criterion E (n = 29). The NSSID group delimited from the ≥ 5 NSSI group by reporting significantly more frequent and severe self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors, as well as having more experiences of negative life events and higher levels of trauma symptoms. There were also some differences between the NSSID group and adolescents without distress/impairment, which together contribute valuable information on the potential NSSID diagnosis, as well as the discussion of criterion E.     

An Examination of the Connections Between Eating Disorder Symptoms,Perceived Burdensomeness,Thwarted Belongingness,and Suicide Risk Among Undergraduate Students

Suicide attempts and premature mortality due to suicide are elevated in people with eating disorders. Informed by the interpersonal theory of suicide, two studies examined the role of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in explaining the association between eating disorder symptoms and suicide risk. Results indicated that various eating disorder symptoms had an indirect effect on suicide risk through perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Targeting perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness may be useful for decreasing suicide risk among undergraduates with eating disorder symptoms.     

Physical Activity,Suicide Risk Factors,and Suicidal Ideation in a Veteran Sample

The association between current level of suicidal ideation and physical activity was tested in a broad sample of veterans seeking care from the Veterans Health Administration. It was hypothesized that the two variables would be significantly inversely related. It was further hypothesized that the relationship would be mediated by depressive symptoms, disturbed sleep, and a measure of heart rate variability based on existing research regarding physical activity and sleep. Due to the first hypothesis not being supported, the second could not be tested. Post hoc correlation analyses did find associations between physical activity and depressive symptoms, in expected directions, and are discussed. Possible explanations for the negative findings along with recommendations for future research to continue exploring links between suicide risk and physical activity are presented. We conclude by suggesting that physical activity may have promise as a risk reduction intervention and that prospective data are more likely to yield significant results than the cross‐sectional methodology employed in the current study.     

The Interactive Effects of Impulsivity and Negative Emotions on Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self‐injury: A Latent Growth Curve Analysis

This study employed latent growth curve analysis to evaluate the interactive effects of two specific facets of impulsivity (i.e., negative urgency [NU] and premeditation [PRE]) and negative emotions (NE) on the developmental trajectory of nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) among 3,453 (57% females) Chinese community adolescents. Participants completed questionnaires assessing NSSI, NU, PRE, and NE (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) at three waves of time. The initial levels of NE and NU significantly predicted the initial level of NSSI. Changes in NE and NU significantly predicted change in NSSI. Moreover, the initial levels of NU and PRE significantly moderated the relationship between the initial levels of NE and NSSI, such that among individuals with higher NU or less PRE, the three NE were associated with a higher level of NSSI. Additionally, among individuals with a faster increase in NU, depression and anxiety were associated with a faster increase in NSSI. These findings suggest that adolescents with trait impulsivity, especially in the form of NU, are more vulnerable to the engagement in NSSI.