scholarly journals Preliminary Investigation of the Association Between COVID-19 and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in the U.S.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke A. Ammerman ◽  
Taylor A. Burke ◽  
Ross Jacobucci ◽  
Kenneth McClure
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors

Evidence suggests that the negative consequences of COVID-19 may extend far beyond its considerable death toll, having a significant impact on psychological well-being. Prior work has highlighted that previous epidemics are linked to elevated suicide rates, however, there is no research to date on the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Utilizing an online survey, the current study aimed to better understand the presence, and extent, of the association between COVID-19-related experiences and past-month suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adults in the United States. Results support an association between several COVID-19-related experiences (i.e., general distress, fear of physical harm, effects of social distancing policies) and past-month suicidal ideation and attempts. Further, we found that a significant proportion of those with recent suicidal ideation explicitly link their suicidal thoughts to COVID-19. Exploratory analyses highlight a potential additional link between COVID-19 and suicidal behavior, suggesting that a portion of individuals may be intentionally exposing themselves to the virus with intent to kill themselves. These findings underscore the need for increased suicide risk screening and access to mental health services. Particular attention should be paid to employing public health campaigns to disseminate information on such services in order to reduce the enormity of distress and emotional impairment associated with COVID-19 in the United States.

Unsound sleep, wound-up mind: a longitudinal examination of acute suicidal affective disturbance features among an eating disorder sample

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Shruti S. Kinkel-Ram ◽  
William Grunewald ◽  
Lindsay P. Bodell ◽  
April R. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Ongoing Assessment ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors

Abstract Background Suicide is one of the most commonly reported causes of death in individuals with eating disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying the suicide and disordered eating link are largely unknown, and current assessments are still unable to accurately predict future suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The purpose of this study is to test the utility of two promising proximal risk factors, sleep quality and agitation, in predicting suicidal ideation in a sample of individuals with elevated suicidal thoughts and behaviors, namely those with eating disorders. Methods Women (N = 97) receiving treatment at an eating disorder treatment center completed weekly questionnaires assessing suicidal ideation, agitation, and sleep. General linear mixed models examined whether agitation and/or sleep quality were concurrently or prospectively associated with suicidal ideation across 12 weeks of treatment. Results There was a significant interaction between within-person agitation and sleep quality on suicidal ideation [B(s.e.) = −0.02(0.01), p < 0.05], such that on weeks when an individual experienced both higher than their average agitation and lower than their average sleep quality, they also experienced their highest levels of suicidal ideation. However, neither agitation nor sleep quality prospectively predicted suicidal ideation. Conclusions This study was the first to examine dynamic associations between interpersonal constructs and suicidal ideation in individuals with eating disorders. Results suggest that ongoing assessment for overarousal symptoms, such as agitation and poor sleep quality, in individuals with eating disorders may be warranted in order to manage suicidal ideation among this vulnerable population.

scholarly journals Sexting, Web-Based Risks, and Safety in Two Representative National Samples of Young Australians: Prevalence, Perspectives, and Predictors (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa C Milton ◽  
Benjamin A Gill ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Mitchell Dowling ◽  
Jane M Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Safety Skills ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Late Night ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors ◽  
Health And Well Being

BACKGROUND The rapid uptake of information and communication technology (ICT) over the past decade—particularly the smartphone—has coincided with large increases in sexting. All previous Australian studies examining the prevalence of sexting activities in young people have relied on convenience or self-selected samples. Concurrently, there have been recent calls to undertake more in-depth research on the relationship between mental health problems, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and sexting. How sexters (including those who receive, send, and two-way sext) and nonsexters apply ICT safety skills warrants further research. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to extend the Australian sexting literature by measuring (1) changes in the frequency of young people’s sexting activities from 2012 to 2014; (2) young people’s beliefs about sexting; (3) association of demographics, mental health and well-being items, and internet use with sexting; and (4) the relationship between sexting and ICT safety skills. METHODS Computer-assisted telephone interviewing using random digit dialing was used in two Young and Well National Surveys conducted in 2012 and 2014. The participants included representative and random samples of 1400 young people aged 16 to 25 years. RESULTS From 2012 to 2014, two-way sexting (2012: 521/1369, 38.06%; 2014: 591/1400, 42.21%; P=.03) and receiving sexts (2012: 375/1369, 27.39%; 2014: 433/1400, 30.93%; P<.001) increased significantly, not sexting (2012: 438/1369, 31.99%; 2014: 356/1400, 25.43%; P<.001) reduced significantly, whereas sending sexts (2012: n=35/1369, 2.56%; 2014: n=20/1400, 1.43%; P>.05) did not significantly change. In addition, two-way sexting and sending sexts were found to be associated with demographics (male, second language, and being in a relationship), mental health and well-being items (suicidal thoughts and behaviors and body image concerns), and ICT risks (cyberbullying others and late-night internet use). Receiving sexts was significantly associated with demographics (being male and not living with parents or guardians) and ICT risks (being cyberbullied and late-night internet use). Contrary to nonsexters, Pearson correlations demonstrated that all sexting groups (two-way, sending, and receiving) had a negative relationship with endorsing the ICT safety items relating to being careful when using the Web and not giving out personal details. CONCLUSIONS Our research demonstrates that most young Australians are sexting or exposed to sexting in some capacity. Sexting is associated with some negative health and well-being outcomes—specifically, sending sexts is linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, body image issues, and ICT safety risks, including cyberbullying and late-night internet use. Those who do sext are less likely to engage in many preventative ICT safety behaviors. How the community works in partnership with young people to address this needs to be a multifaceted approach, where sexting is positioned within a wider proactive conversation about gender, culture, psychosocial health, and respecting and caring for each other when on the Web.

Suicide Cognitions Scale: Psychometric Support in a Community Sample Using Bifactor Modeling and Altered Item Content

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110508
Author(s):  
Emma H. Moscardini ◽  
Sarah Pardue-Bourgeois ◽  
D. Nicolas Oakey-Frost ◽  
Jeffrey Powers ◽  
Craig J. Bryan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Vulnerability Theory ◽  
Bifactor Modeling ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors ◽  
Unidimensional Structure

The Suicide Cognitions Scale (SCS) measures suicide-related beliefs proposed by the Fluid Vulnerability Theory. A recent investigation of a revised version of the SCS (i.e., SCS-R) which omits items explicitly referencing suicide has indicated that the measure is highly influenced by a general factor and may be useful for distinguishing severity levels of suicidal thoughts and behaviors; however, limited concurrent validity studies with a range of suicide-related experiences have been conducted. As such, this study replicated and extended previous psychometric research on the SCS-R in an online survey study with a community sample of N = 10,625 U.S. adults. Results confirmed the unidimensional structure of the SCS-R. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the total score of the SCS-R is useful in distinguishing varying levels of suicidal thoughts and behaviors such as past-month planning for suicide without attempt versus past-month suicide attempt. Implications and limitations are discussed.

scholarly journals Imaging suicidal thoughts and behaviors: a comprehensive review of 2 decades of neuroimaging studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 408-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lianne Schmaal ◽  
Anne-Laura van Harmelen ◽  
Vasiliki Chatzi ◽  
Elizabeth T. C. Lippard ◽  
Yara J. Toenders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors

AbstractIdentifying brain alterations that contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are important to develop more targeted and effective strategies to prevent suicide. In the last decade, and especially in the last 5 years, there has been exponential growth in the number of neuroimaging studies reporting structural and functional brain circuitry correlates of STBs. Within this narrative review, we conducted a comprehensive review of neuroimaging studies of STBs published to date and summarize the progress achieved on elucidating neurobiological substrates of STBs, with a focus on converging findings across studies. We review neuroimaging evidence across differing mental disorders for structural, functional, and molecular alterations in association with STBs, which converges particularly in regions of brain systems that subserve emotion and impulse regulation including the ventral prefrontal cortex (VPFC) and dorsal PFC (DPFC), insula and their mesial temporal, striatal and posterior connection sites, as well as in the connections between these brain areas. The reviewed literature suggests that impairments in medial and lateral VPFC regions and their connections may be important in the excessive negative and blunted positive internal states that can stimulate suicidal ideation, and that impairments in a DPFC and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) system may be important in suicide attempt behaviors. A combination of VPFC and DPFC system disturbances may lead to very high risk circumstances in which suicidal ideation is converted to lethal actions via decreased top-down inhibition of behavior and/or maladaptive, inflexible decision-making and planning. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and insula may play important roles in switching between these VPFC and DPFC systems, which may contribute to the transition from suicide thoughts to behaviors. Future neuroimaging research of larger sample sizes, including global efforts, longitudinal designs, and careful consideration of developmental stages, and sex and gender, will facilitate more effectively targeted preventions and interventions to reduce loss of life to suicide.

scholarly journals Knowledge and Behaviors Toward COVID-19 Among US Residents During the Early Days of the Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Online Questionnaire

10.2196/19161 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e19161 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M Clements
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Purchasing Behavior ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Lower Odds ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
And Behaviors

Background The early days of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States brought uncertainty in the knowledge about COVID-19 and what to do about it. It is necessary to understand public knowledge and behaviors if we are to effectively address the pandemic. Objective The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that knowledge about COVID-19 influences participation in different behaviors including self-reports of purchasing more goods than usual, attending large gatherings, and using medical masks. Methods This study was funded and approved by the Institutional Review Board on March 17, 2020. The cross-sectional online survey of 1034 US residents aged 18 years or older was conducted on March 17, 2020. Results For every point increase in knowledge, the odds of participation in purchasing more goods (odds ratio [OR] 0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.95), attending large gatherings (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.93), and using medical masks (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.50-0.62) decreased by 12%, 13%, and 44%, respectively. Gen X and millennial participants had 56% and 76% higher odds, respectively, of increased purchasing behavior compared to baby boomers. The results suggest that there is a politicization of response recommendations. Democrats had 30% lower odds of attending large gatherings (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.97) and 48% lower odds of using medical masks (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.78) compared to Republicans. Conclusions This survey is one of the first attempts to study determinants of knowledge and behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. A national, coordinated effort toward a pandemic response may ensure better compliance with behavioral recommendations to address this public health emergency.

scholarly journals Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

10.2196/22817 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e22817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomei Wang ◽  
Sudeep Hegde ◽  
Changwon Son ◽  
Bruce Keller ◽  
Alec Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
The Impact

Background Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. Objective This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. Results Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. Conclusions The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.

scholarly journals Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions for Suicide Prevention: Promise, Challenges, and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel D.L. Coppersmith ◽  
Walter Dempsey ◽  
Evan Kleiman ◽  
Kate Bentley ◽  
Susan Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
The United States ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Adaptive Interventions ◽  
Internal States ◽  
Interactive Nature ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
The Right ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors

The suicide rate has not changed in the United States over the past 100 years and there is a need for new ways of preventing suicide. Research has revealed that suicidal thoughts and behaviors and the factors that drive them are dynamic, heterogeneous, and interactive. Most existing interventions are infrequent (e.g., weekly sessions), not accessible when most needed, and not systematically tailored to the person using their own data. Advances in technology and statistics offer an opportunity to develop new interventions that may better match the dynamic, heterogeneous, and interactive nature of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) are designed to provide the right type of support at the right time by adapting to changes in internal states and external contexts, offering a promising pathway towards more effective suicide prevention. In this review, we highlight the potential of JITAIs for suicide prevention, challenges ahead for developing JITAIs for suicide prevention, and possible solutions to these challenges.

scholarly journals Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomei Wang ◽  
Sudeep Hegde ◽  
Changwon Son ◽  
Bruce Keller ◽  
Alec Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. OBJECTIVE This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&amp;M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. RESULTS Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.

scholarly journals Sexting, Web-Based Risks, and Safety in Two Representative National Samples of Young Australians: Prevalence, Perspectives, and Predictors

10.2196/13338 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. e13338
Author(s):  
Alyssa C Milton ◽  
Benjamin A Gill ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Mitchell Dowling ◽  
Jane M Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Safety Skills ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Late Night ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors ◽  
Health And Well Being

Background The rapid uptake of information and communication technology (ICT) over the past decade—particularly the smartphone—has coincided with large increases in sexting. All previous Australian studies examining the prevalence of sexting activities in young people have relied on convenience or self-selected samples. Concurrently, there have been recent calls to undertake more in-depth research on the relationship between mental health problems, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and sexting. How sexters (including those who receive, send, and two-way sext) and nonsexters apply ICT safety skills warrants further research. Objective This study aimed to extend the Australian sexting literature by measuring (1) changes in the frequency of young people’s sexting activities from 2012 to 2014; (2) young people’s beliefs about sexting; (3) association of demographics, mental health and well-being items, and internet use with sexting; and (4) the relationship between sexting and ICT safety skills. Methods Computer-assisted telephone interviewing using random digit dialing was used in two Young and Well National Surveys conducted in 2012 and 2014. The participants included representative and random samples of 1400 young people aged 16 to 25 years. Results From 2012 to 2014, two-way sexting (2012: 521/1369, 38.06%; 2014: 591/1400, 42.21%; P=.03) and receiving sexts (2012: 375/1369, 27.39%; 2014: 433/1400, 30.93%; P<.001) increased significantly, not sexting (2012: 438/1369, 31.99%; 2014: 356/1400, 25.43%; P<.001) reduced significantly, whereas sending sexts (2012: n=35/1369, 2.56%; 2014: n=20/1400, 1.43%; P>.05) did not significantly change. In addition, two-way sexting and sending sexts were found to be associated with demographics (male, second language, and being in a relationship), mental health and well-being items (suicidal thoughts and behaviors and body image concerns), and ICT risks (cyberbullying others and late-night internet use). Receiving sexts was significantly associated with demographics (being male and not living with parents or guardians) and ICT risks (being cyberbullied and late-night internet use). Contrary to nonsexters, Pearson correlations demonstrated that all sexting groups (two-way, sending, and receiving) had a negative relationship with endorsing the ICT safety items relating to being careful when using the Web and not giving out personal details. Conclusions Our research demonstrates that most young Australians are sexting or exposed to sexting in some capacity. Sexting is associated with some negative health and well-being outcomes—specifically, sending sexts is linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, body image issues, and ICT safety risks, including cyberbullying and late-night internet use. Those who do sext are less likely to engage in many preventative ICT safety behaviors. How the community works in partnership with young people to address this needs to be a multifaceted approach, where sexting is positioned within a wider proactive conversation about gender, culture, psychosocial health, and respecting and caring for each other when on the Web.

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