Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Suicide Status Form-IV.

The Suicide Status Form-IV (SSF-IV) is the measure used in the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). The SSF-IV Core Assessment measures various domains of suicide risk. Previous studies established a two-factor solution in small, homogeneous samples; no investigations have assessed measurement invariance. The current investigation sought to replicate previous factor analyses and used measurement invariance to identify differences in the Core Assessment by race and gender. Adults (N = 731) were referred for a CAMS consultation after exhibiting risk for suicide. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated good fit for both one- and two-factor solutions while the two-factor solution is potentially redundant. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance held across race and gender. Ordinal logistic regression models indicated that neither race nor gender significantly moderated the relationship between the Core Assessment total score and clinical outcomes. Findings support a measurement invariant, one-factor solution for the SSF-IV Core Assessment.

The Temporal Dynamics of Wish to Live, Wish to Die, and Their Short-Term Prospective Relationships With Suicidal Desire.

The internal debate hypothesis (Kovacs & Beck, 1977) suggests that those at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors may experience fluctuations in both the wish to live (WTL) and wish to die (WTD). Previous research has investigated this hypothesis using various cross-sectional (Goods et al., 2019 [cf. Page & Stritzke, 2020]) and longitudinal methodologies (e.g., Bryan et al., 2016). No investigations have determined the within-day temporal dynamics of WTL and WTD using ecological moment assessment (EMA), however. N = 49 undergraduate university students recruited from a research participant pool from a large southeastern university in the United States with a lifetime history of suicide ideation completed the current 10-day EMA investigation. Results demonstrated that WTL, WTD, and resulting suicidal ambivalence (i.e., relatively equal WTL/WTD ratings) demonstrated similar within-person person variability; however, WTD scores appeared to demonstrate higher average variability compared to WTL and ambivalence scores. Although state WTL and WTD were concurrently related to state suicidal desire, only WTD prospectively predicted suicidal desire when controlling for the influence of the outcome variable at the previous timepoint. Ambivalence scores also prospectively predicted suicidal desire when controlling for suicidal desire at the previous timepoint. Results support the clinical and theoretical utility of separate WTL and WTD assessment. WTD was relatively stable within this sample but may be closely related to risk for future suicidal thinking. Changes in WTL may reduce state risk for suicidal desire but could be more trait-like in nature compared to WTD. Future research that investigates these hypotheses should consider the study limitations outlined.

Vehicle Firearm Storage: Prevalence and Correlates in a Sample of Male Firearm Owners.

Previous research has linked unsafe firearm storage practices and other ownership-related characteristics to key factors that facilitate the transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal behaviors (i.e., acquired capability for suicide). This research has not investigated the extent to which firearm owners store firearms in their vehicles, a factor that increases ready access to the most lethal means of suicide. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of occasional and permanent vehicle firearm storage as well as demographic and psychological correlates of this practice in a sample of N = 408 adult male firearm owners oversampled for historical thoughts of suicide. METHODS: Participants completed an online survey for monetary compensation. RESULTS: Over 40% of participants indicated at least occasionally storing firearms in their vehicles with over 15% indicating storage of firearms unlocked and loaded. Elevated scores on measures of negative affect, worry, intolerance of uncertainty, and historical suicidal thoughts and behaviors were seen in those who endorsed vehicle firearm storage compared to those who did not. CONCLUSION: Individual and public health firearm safety strategies would benefit from an explicit focus on the transition of firearms to and from one's vehicle.HIGHLIGHTSOver 40% of male firearm owners at least occasionally store a firearm in a vehicle.15% of those who store a firearm in a vehicle do so unlocked and loaded.Suicidal thought severity was related to storing a firearm in a vehicle.Historical suicidal behaviors were related to storing a firearm in a vehicle.

Examining the Interrelationships Among Suicide Cognitions, Suicidal Ideation, and Theoretically Derived Protective Factors.

INTRODUCTION: Several protective factors for mitigating suicidal ideation (SI) such as positive affect, reasons for living, purpose in life, meaning in life, gratitude, grit, optimism, social support, and hope have been identified and received empirical support. However, few studies have examined the interrelationships of these protective factors and the identification of protective factors most closely linked to lower levels of SI may be useful for both theory-building initiatives and improvement of suicide-specific interventions. Network analysis offers an approach for testing the relation among these constructs, SI, and suicide risk factors. METHODS: A sample N = 557 undergraduate students oversampled for lifetime SI completed a cross-sectional, online survey. The data was used to estimate an undirected, cross-sectional network of the aforementioned protective factors. RESULTS: The resulting inferred network implicates strong negative influence of suicide cognitions, but not recent SI, and the strong positive influence of presence of meaning in life, trait hope, and low negative affect. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for dimensionality of SI versus suicide cognitions, targeting presence of meaning in life, trait hope, and negative affect in treatment, and cross-cultural variations in reasons for living are discussed. The study is limited by the cross-sectional and convenience sampling methodology.HighlightsProtective factors may have less direct influence on suicidal ideationSuicide cognitions and the suicidal mode may be of phenomenological importancePresence of meaning and trait hope may be primary targets for suicide interventions.

Indirect effects of soldier healthy eating and physical activity on suicidal ideation through psychological health symptoms in active-duty military.

The suicide rate within the military continues to rise. New approaches for prevention are needed which capitalize on existing strengths, are scalable at multiple levels, and promote mental fortitude. Healthy eating (HE) and physical activity (PA) represent scalable practices and methods for promoting mental health and protective factors within the military. A cross-sectional sample of N = 1019 active-duty Soldiers completed self-report measures of HE, PA, major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms, and suicidal ideation (SI). Moderated mediation analyses using bootstrapping techniques were used to determine if HE and PA interact to relate to lower SI through reduced psychological health (PH) symptoms. Results indicated an indirect effect of HE on presence versus absence of past month SI through GAD symptoms at moderate-to-high levels of cardiovascular PA. A similar pattern was demonstrated for strength training PA where HE had an indirect effect on past month SI through GAD symptoms at only high levels of strength training PA. HE was indirectly related to lower MDD symptoms at all levels of cardiovascular PA and moderate to high levels of strength training PA. Study limitations and implications for secondary suicide prevention strategies within the military are discussed.

Insomnia and suicide risk: a multi-study replication and extension among military and high-risk college student samples.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: A clear link between insomnia concerns and suicidal ideation has been shown in a variety of populations. These investigations failed to use a theoretical lens in understanding this relationship. Research within the veteran population has demonstrated that feelings of thwarted belongingness (TB), but not perceived burdensomeness (PB), mediate the insomnia and suicidal ideation relationship. Using two high risk samples, the present investigation replicated and extended this line of inquiry to include interpersonal hopelessness about TB, a key component of the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide. METHODS/RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Using medical record review and survey data, study 1 replicated the finding that TB is a stronger explanatory factor of the insomnia to suicidal ideation/suicide risk relationship in a sample of N = 200 treatment-seeking active-duty personnel. Study 2 found that insomnia symptoms had an indirect effect on suicidal ideation through TB and PB but not interpersonal hopelessness in a sample of N = 151 college students with a history of suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors. TB was the only mediator of the insomnia-suicide attempt likelihood link and insomnia to clinically significant suicide risk screening status. Limitations include cross-sectional design of both studies and the lack of formal diagnoses of insomnia. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Military suicide prevention: The importance of leadership behaviors as an upstream suicide prevention target.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the longitudinal relationships between unit cohesion, Army leader behaviors, and subordinate suicidal/death ideation. Recent cross-sectional research indicates that subordinates who perceive that their leaders instill a sense of purpose regarding military service demonstrate less frequent suicidal ideation. METHOD: Five hundred fifty-nine soldiers completed self-report measures of perceptions of leadership behaviors, unit cohesion, and suicidal/death ideation during deployment as well as one and three months following deployment. Latent change score modeling was conducted to evaluate the course and direction of study variables as well as the relationship between them. RESULTS: Although lower levels of suicidal/death ideation were related to leader-provided purpose, leader-provided meaning, and unit cohesion at baseline, only leader-provided purpose and unit cohesion prospectively predicted changes in suicidal/death ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the goal of military leadership to augment effective clinical interventions that reduce suicide risk, prevention programs that reach a broader population of personnel should be considered. Enhanced leadership training may be an important primary prevention tool to reduce suicide risk that warrants further research.

Ethnic Identity and Suicide Risk among Hispanic/Latinx Young Adults: The Impact of Perceived Burdensomeness and Thwarted Belongingness.

Hispanic/Latinx college students experience SI/behaviors at high rates, yet there is a dearth of research on suicide risk and sociocultural correlates of suicide risk among Hispanic/Latinx individuals. This study examined the impact of ethnic identity on suicide risk among 63 Hispanic/Latinx young adults. Further, we tested a model in which ethnic identity is integrated into the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide Behavior (IPTS). Lower levels of ethnic identity attachment were related to greater suicide risk. Further, moderated mediation analyses indicated that perceived burdensomeness mediated the relation between ethnic identity and suicide risk at higher levels of thwarted belongingness. Findings highlight the importance of sociocultural factors in understanding the utility of the IPTS model among Hispanic/Latinx individuals.