Role of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in the relationship between violent daydreaming and suicidal ideation in two adult samples

Purpose Despite evidence that violent daydreaming is a correlate of suicidal ideation, no research has examined the mechanisms underlying this association. The interpersonal theory of suicide may provide insight. This theory postulates that individuals with high suicidal desire experience intractable feelings of perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB). Violent daydreaming may fuel negative attitudes toward others and oneself and turn attention away from loved ones, thereby increasing feelings that one is a burden on others (PB) and socially disconnected (TB). However, no studies have tested TB and PB as explanatory mechanisms. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between violent daydreaming, PB, TB, suicidal ideation, and depression in two samples (n=818). Design/methodology/approach Study 1 was comprised of general undergraduates, and Study 2 selected for undergraduates with a history of ideation. Self-report measures were administered and indirect effects analyses were conducted. Findings In both studies, violent daydreaming was associated with increased feelings of PB, TB, and ideation severity. Consistent with the interpersonal theory, TB and PB were significant parallel mediators of the relationship between violent daydreaming and suicidal ideation, beyond sex and age. In contrast to Study 1, results were no longer significant in Study 2 after accounting for depression. Originality/value This was the first study to test TB and PB as mechanisms underlying the relationship between violent daydreaming and suicide risk. Findings highlight the importance of monitoring and addressing violent daydreams and interpersonal functioning throughout treatment to mitigate risk.

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Predicting suicidal ideation in a nationally representative sample of young adults: a 12-month prospective study

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720005255 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Karen Wetherall ◽

Seonaid Cleare ◽

Sarah Eschle ◽

Eamonn Ferguson ◽

Daryl B. O'Connor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Prospective Study ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background Evidence-based theoretical models outlining the pathways to the development of suicidal ideation may inform treatment. The current research draws from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPT) and the Integrated Motivational-Volitional (IMV) Model of suicidal behaviour and aims to test the interaction between perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness as proposed by the IPT model, and the defeat-entrapment pathway as proposed by the IMV model, in the prediction of suicidal ideation at 12-month follow-up. Methods The Scottish Wellbeing Study is a nationally representative prospective study of young people aged 18–34 years (n = 3508) from across Scotland, who completed a baseline interview and a 12-month follow-up (n = 2420). The core factors from both the IPT (perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) and the IMV model (defeat, internal and external entrapment) were measured alongside demographics, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation at baseline. At 12-month follow-up, suicidal ideation was assessed again. Results In multiple regression analysis perceived burdensomeness and internal entrapment, with baseline suicidal ideation, predicted 12-month suicidal ideation. No support for the interaction between perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in predicting 12-month suicidal ideation was found. However, there was evidence that internal, but not external, entrapment mediated the relationship between defeat and 12-month suicidal ideation, but no support was found for the moderation of burdensomeness and belongingness on the entrapment to suicidal ideation pathway. Conclusions The current findings highlight the importance of targeting perceived burdensomeness and internal entrapment to reduce the likelihood that suicidal ideation emerges in at risk individuals.

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Interpersonal theory of suicide: prospective examination

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2020.93 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Forkmann ◽

Heide Glaesmer ◽

Laura Paashaus ◽

Dajana Rath ◽

Antje Schönfelder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Self Report ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Operating Characteristics ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Suicide Intent

Background The interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS) is one of the most intensively researched contemporary theories on the development of suicidal ideation and behaviour. However, there is a lack of carefully conducted prospective studies. Aims To evaluate the main predictions of the IPTS regarding the importance of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness and capability for suicide in predicting future suicide attempts in a prospective design. Method Psychiatric in-patients (n = 308; 53.6% (n = 165) female; mean age 36.82 years, s.d. = 14.30, range 18–81) admitted for severe suicidal ideation (n = 145, 47.1%) or a suicide attempt completed self-report measures of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, capability for suicide, hopelessness, depression and suicidal ideation as well as interviews on suicide intent and suicide attempts and were followed up for 12 months. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis were conducted. Results The interaction of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness and capability for suicide was not predictive of future suicide attempts, but perceived burdensomeness showed a significant main effect (z = 3.49, P < 0.01; OR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.59–3.58) and moderate performance in screening for future suicide attempts (area under the curve AUC = 0.729, P < 0.01). Conclusions The results challenge the theoretical validity of the IPTS and its clinical utility – at least within the methodological limitations of the current study. Yet, findings underscore the importance of perceived burdensomeness in understanding suicidal ideation and behaviour.

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Problematic Alcohol Use and Suicidal Ideation Among Firefighters: A Multi-Study Investigation of the Explanatory Roles of Perceived Burdensomeness and Thwarted Belongingness

10.31234/osf.io/f4unb ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Austin James Gallyer ◽

Sean Patrick Dougherty ◽

Anna R. Gai ◽

Ian H. Stanley ◽

Melanie A. Hom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Symptom Index ◽

Problematic Alcohol ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Problematic Alcohol Use ◽

The Relationship

Background: Firefighters are at increased risk for both problematic alcohol use and suicidality. Research has found that problematic alcohol use is related to suicidality among this population; however, limited data exist regarding what might account for this association. The present two-study investigation (1) examined the association between suicidality and problematic alcohol use among two large samples of current firefighters and (2) tested whether interpersonal theory of suicide constructs—perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB)—serve as indirect indicators of this relationship. Methods: Participants in Study 1 were 944 U.S. firefighters (12.5% female); participants in Study 2 were 241 U.S. women firefighters. Participants completed the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the Depressive Symptom Index: Suicidality Subscale (Study 1) or the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (Study 2). Bias-corrected bootstrap indirect effects path analyses were utilized. Results: In Study 1, more problematic alcohol use was significantly associated with more severe career suicidal ideation via PB but not TB. In Study 2, problematic alcohol use was associated with career suicidal ideation via both PB and TB. PB seems to account for the relationship between problematic alcohol use and career suicidal ideation among male and female firefighters. Limitations: Limitations include use of a cross-sectional design, use of retrospective measures of suicidal ideation, and our findings were derived from subsamples of two existing datasets. Conclusions: Findings suggest that PB and TB may explain the relationship between problematic alcohol use and suicidal ideation, but that this effect is discrepant based on gender.

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Trauma-Related Shame, Sexual Assault Severity, Thwarted Belongingness, and Perceived Burdensomeness Among Female Undergraduate Survivors of Sexual Assault

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000549 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 134-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christopher R. DeCou ◽

Stephanie P. Kaplan ◽

Julie Spencer ◽

Shannon M. Lynch

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychosocial Risk ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Female Undergraduate ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

And Behavior

Abstract. Background and Aim: This study evaluated trauma-related shame as a mediator of the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Method: A total of 164 female undergraduates who reported attempted or completed sexual assault completed self-report measures of sexual assault, trauma-related shame, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. Results: Using path analysis, trauma-related shame mediated the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness, and between sexual assault severity and thwarted belongingness. Limitations: The findings of this study are limited by the retrospective, self-report, and cross-sectional nature of these data, and do not allow for causal inference. Conclusion: Trauma-related shame warrants additional investigation as a mechanism that explains the association between sexual assault and psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior.

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Pet Attachment and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

10.31234/osf.io/p67bu ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Valerie Jane Douglas ◽

Mun Yee Kwan ◽

Kathryn H. Gordon

Keyword(s):

Suicide Risk ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Pet Ownership ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Attachment Avoidance ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Pet Attachment ◽

The Relationship

Objective: Pet ownership is often assumed to have mental health benefits, but the effect of pets on suicide risk has a scant literature. Method: Using the interpersonal theory of suicide, we examined the relationships between perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, overall attachment to one’s pet (quality of the relationship), pet attachment avoidance (distrustful of the relationship) or anxiety (afraid of abandonment), and suicide risk. Three hypotheses were investigated: 1) higher levels of attachment would be associated with lower suicide risk via lower levels of thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness, 2) lower levels of pet attachment would be associated with higher levels of suicide risk via attachment avoidance/attachment anxiety, and 3) attachment avoidance/anxiety would be associated with higher suicide risk via thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness. Undergraduates (N = 187) completed surveys and indirect effect analyses were utilized. Results: Higher overall attachment was associated with decreased attachment anxiety, which was associated with lower suicide risk. Attachment anxiety was correlated with increased suicide risk. Overall attachment, attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were not found to indirectly affect suicide risk. Conclusions: Findings suggest that pet ownership may provide both protective and deleterious effects in a nonclinical sample.

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Examining the link between prior suicidality and subsequent suicidal ideation among high-risk US military service members

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291718003124 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (13) ◽

pp. 2237-2246 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Melanie A. Hom ◽

Mary E. Duffy ◽

Megan L. Rogers ◽

Jetta E. Hanson ◽

Peter M. Gutierrez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Military Service ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Self Report ◽

Service Members ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Us Military ◽

Military Service Members ◽

The Relationship

AbstractBackgroundResearch is needed to identify the factors that explain the link between prior and future suicidality. This study evaluated possible mediators of the relationship between: (1) the severity of prior suicidality and (2) suicidal ideation severity at 3-month follow-up among a sample of high-risk military personnel.MethodsUS military service members referred to or seeking care for suicide risk (N = 624) completed self-report psychiatric domain measures and a clinician interview assessing prior suicidality severity at baseline. Three months later, participants completed a self-report measure of suicidal ideation severity. Three separate percentile bootstrap mediation models were used to examine psychiatric factors (i.e. alcohol abuse, anxiety sensitivity, hopelessness, insomnia, posttraumatic stress symptoms, suicidal ideation, and thwarted belongingness) as parallel mediators of the relationship between prior suicidality severity (specifically, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and overall suicidality – i.e. ideation/attempt severity combined) at baseline and suicidal ideation severity at follow-up.ResultsHopelessness, specifically, and the total effect of all mediators, each significantly accounted for the relationship between prior suicidality severity and subsequent ideation severity across models. In the models with attempt severity and overall suicidality severity as predictors, thwarted belongingness was also a significant mediator.ConclusionsHopelessness, thwarted belongingness, and overall severity of psychiatric indices may explain the relationship between prior suicidality severity and future suicidal ideation severity among service members at elevated suicide risk. Research is needed to replicate these findings and examine other possible mediators.

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Is Violence, Violence no Matter Where it Strikes? Adjudicated Boys, Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Acquired Capability for Suicide

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211055080 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110550

Author(s):

Judy A. Van Wyk

Keyword(s):

Child Abuse ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Interpersonal Violence ◽

Conditional Logistic Regression ◽

Strong Support ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Acquired Capability ◽

Suicidal Attempts

This study explores treating violence against others as a precursor to self-directed violence. It tests the utility of including violence against others in the measure of acquired capability to test assumptions from the interpersonal theory of violence. Four theoretical hypotheses are assessed that are consistent with the theory: (1) thwarted belongingness (parental abandonment and rejection) and perceived burdensomeness (exposure to parental interpersonal violence and child abuse) independently increase the likelihood of suicidal ideation; (2) the interaction of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness increases the likelihood of suicidal ideation controlling for other pertinent variables; (3) the three-way interaction of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability (violence against others and prior suicidal attempts) increases the likelihood of suicidal attempts controlling for other pertinent variables; and (4) self-harm responds to the theoretical variables and similarly, to attempts. Subjects are court-adjudicated males (ages 13–18) who were residents for up to 1 year at the Ocean Tides School and rehabilitation center from 1975–2019. The data span 44 years and include 2195 youth. Depression, drug/alcohol use, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and interaction terms between SES and race and SES and ethnicity are also examined. Backward conditional logistic regression analyses find mixed support for the hypotheses, but strong support for including violence against others in the concept of acquired capability. Support is also found for conceptualizing child abuse and exposure to parental interpersonal violence as perceived burdensomeness in tests of this theory as well as measures of depression. Major implications for programming in the treatment and rehabilitation of delinquent boys include conceptualizing and approaching violence against others as a precursor to suicidal attempts and other self-directed harm.

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776 Perceived sleep control and nightmares distinguish college students with suicidal ideation from past attempters

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.773 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A302-A302

Author(s):

Krishna Bodicherla ◽

Andrew Tubbs ◽

Fabian-Xosé Fernandez ◽

Michael Perlis ◽

Michael Grandner

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Suicide Attempt ◽

Severity Index ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Short Sleep ◽

History Of ◽

Sleep Control

Abstract Introduction Suicidal ideation is common in college-aged students, but this is limited as a risk factor because ideation rarely leads to suicide attempts. Disrupted sleep increases suicide risk, but it is unclear whether this relationship applies equally to both ideators and attempters. Therefore, the present study explored four different sleep variables as discriminators between past suicidal ideation and a past suicide attempt. Methods Data from N=506 respondents were collected as part of the Assessing Nocturnal Sleep/Wake Effects on Risk of Suicide (ANSWERS) Survey in college students. The primary outcomes, lifetime history of suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt, were assessed using self-report questions derived from the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Predictors were weekday short sleep (≤ 6h; from a retrospective sleep diary), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score, Brief Inventory of Sleep Control (BRISC) score, and Disturbing Dreams and Nightmares Severity Index (DDNSI) score. Binomial logistic regression models tested whether these predictors distinguished ideators from attempters. Models were unadjusted, adjusted for age, sex, race, and ethnicity, and additionally adjusted for thwarted belongingness or perceived burdensomeness from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Results A total of N=182 (36%) respondents endorsed lifetime suicidal ideation, while N=61 (12%) reported a prior suicide attempt. Attempters tended to be slightly older (p=0.016), in worse health (p<0.001), and have more severe depression (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001) than ideators. In unadjusted models, higher BRISC scores were associated with reduced odds of a suicide attempt (OR: 0.62 [0.42, 0.90]) while DDNSI scores of >=10 were associated with greater odds of a suicide attempt (OR: 4.24 [1.28, 4.24]). Adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness attenuated but did not eliminate these relationships. Short sleep and ISI scores did not distinguish ideators from attempters. Conclusion Perceived sleep control and severity of nightmares, but not insomnia or short sleep, distinguished individuals with a history of suicidal ideation from those with a history of a suicide attempt. However, longitudinal research is needed to determine if poor sleep control or nightmares are proximal predictors of a suicide attempt. Support (if any):

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Suicide-Related Concerns as a Mediator Between Physical Abuse and Self-Harm Behaviors in College Students

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000349 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 440-446 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Amy M. Brausch ◽

Tara C. Holaday

Keyword(s):

Physical Abuse ◽

Self Report ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Childhood Physical Abuse ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Reasons For Living ◽

Cognitive Mediators ◽

History Of ◽

Self Harm ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. Background: Multiple studies have found correlations between history of abuse and self-harm behaviors, but few have examined potential mediators. Studying suicide-related concerns as a mediator in this relationship could inform the interpersonal theory of suicide by identifying acquired capability as a necessary component in self-harm behavior. Aims: This study examined the link between childhood physical abuse, self-injurious behaviors, and suicide-related concerns in young adults. It was hypothesized that more physical abuse and fewer suicide-related concerns would predict self-harm behaviors, and that suicide-related concerns would mediate this relationship. Method: A sample of 212 university students completed self-report measures that assessed self-harm behavior history, reasons for living, and childhood physical abuse. Results: Results supported the hypothesis that more instances of abuse and less concern about pain and death were significantly associated with greater self-harm history. Suicide-related concerns also mediated the relationship between physical abuse and self-harm behaviors. Conclusion: These results support recent theories that habituation to painful and provocative events is an important mechanism in explaining why people engage in self-injurious acts, and provides initial evidence for cognitive mediators between physical abuse and self-harm.

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775 The Relationship Between Sleep and Suicidal Ideation in College Students

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.772 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A301-A302

Author(s):

Krishna Taneja ◽

Andrew Tubbs ◽

Fabian-Xosé Fernandez ◽

Michael Perlis ◽

Michael Grandner

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Severity Index ◽

Interpersonal Theory ◽

Thwarted Belongingness ◽

Perceived Burdensomeness ◽

Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽

Short Sleep ◽

Sleep Control

Abstract Introduction Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young adults and insomnia increases suicide risk. However, the data on disrupted sleep and suicidal ideation in college students is mixed, including whether disrupted sleep fits into the framework of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Therefore, the present study explored how four different sleep variables influenced recent suicidal ideation in a collegiate sample. Methods Data from N=506 respondents were collected as part of the Assessing Nocturnal Sleep/Wake Effects on Risk of Suicide (ANSWERS) Survey in college students. The primary outcome, active suicidal ideation in the last 3 months, was assessed using several self-report questions derived from the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. The predictors were weekday short sleep (≤6h; assessed by retrospective sleep diary), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score, Brief Inventory of Sleep Control (BRISC) score, and Disturbing Dreams and Nightmares Severity Index (DDNSI) score. Binomial logistic regression models estimated the associations between suicidal ideation and sleep variables in models that were unadjusted, adjusted for age, sex, race, and ethnicity, and additionally adjusted for thwarted belongingness or perceived burdensomeness (constructs from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide). Results A total of N=121 (23.9%) respondents endorsed suicidal ideation in the last 3 months. Individuals with suicidal ideation were in poorer health (p<0.001) and had more severe depression (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001). In unadjusted models, individuals were more likely to report suicidal ideation if they had short sleep (OR 1.93 [1.23–3.05]), ISI scores of 8 or more (OR 3.01 [1.94–4.74]), and DDNSI scores of 10 or more (OR 2.66 [1.69–4.19]). Higher BRISC scores were associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation (OR 0.53 [0.41–0.68]). Adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness attenuated but did not eliminate any of these relationships. Conclusion Insomnia, short sleep, nightmares, and less perceived sleep control were all associated with recent suicidal ideation in college students. Moreover, these findings were generally independent of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Further research is needed to understand how sleep affects suicide risk in this population, and whether sleep interventions can reduce this risk. Support (if any):

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