Child abuse and suicidality in the context of the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide: A network analysis.

OBJECTIVES: While there is evidence for an association of child abuse with suicidality in the course of life, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) provides a theoretical framework to investigate this relationship. The present study examines how different subtypes of child abuse are related to suicidal ideation and to attempts in the context of the IPTS. METHODS: 146 psychiatric inpatients (M = 37.9 years, 62% female) with an acute suicidal crisis (n = 71) or a recent suicide attempt (n = 74) were examined at baseline (T0) and six (T1) months later. We measured emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, the constructs of the IPTS (thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and capability for suicide) and suicidal ideation as well as suicide attempts. Using the statistics program R, a network analysis of all named constructs was conducted. Centrality measures were computed. RESULTS: Emotional abuse was the most central kind of abuse in the network and had a direct relationship with suicide attempts and an indirect relationship with suicidal ideation via perceived burdensomeness. Physical and sexual abuse showed no significant relations with the different constructs of the IPTS. CONCLUSION: The major limitation of this study was the modest sample size which reduced the number of variables able to be included in the network. Regarding child abuse, the results underline that emotional abuse plays a central role in this network and may be important for suicide risk assessment. Future research should address this topic in a larger sample. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Emotional abuse was the most central kind of abuse in this network analysis. Sexual abuse was the only kind of abuse with a direct relation to suicidal ideation. Capability for suicide had just a marginal position in the network analysis. Early interventions addressing the effects of child abuse are recommended. Replications in larger samples and with more relevant variables are needed.

Is the relationship between child abuse and suicide attempts mediated by nonsuicidal self-injury and pain tolerance?

Although there is evidence for an association of child abuse with lifetime suicidal behaviour, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In recent research, we found this relationship to be indirect and mediated by capability for suicide (CS). Emotional and sexual abuse were directly associated with CS. Based on the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide, the result for emotional abuse was surprising and raised the question for a missing link in this association. Consequently, this study examines nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) as an additional mediator (M1 ) between child abuse (X), pain tolerance (M2 ), and suicide attempts (Y). We included 308 psychiatric inpatients (M = 36.9 years, 53% female) with either an acute suicidal crisis (n = 146) or a recent suicide attempt (n = 157). For the assessment, we used the Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS), the German version of the self-injurious thoughts and behaviours interview (SITBI-G), the German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ), and a pressure algometer for measuring pain tolerance objectively. Serial mediator analyses were applied. All types of abuse showed relationships with NSSI, which itself was connected to suicidal behaviour in almost all models, whereas pain tolerance did not show the expected relations. The results suggest that NSSI is an important predictor for suicide attempts and should be considered in suicide risk assessment. Future research should address this topic in prospective studies with a more comprehensive assessment of child abuse. In summary, this study once again highlights the serious effects of child abuse and in particular the mediating role of NSSI.

A Qualitative Study of Potential Suicide Risk Factors Among Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom Soldiers Returning to the Continental United States (CONUS).

OBJECTIVE: A qualitative study among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Soldiers was conducted to explore potential constructs underlying suicide according to the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS); these include burdensomeness, failed belonging, and acquired capability. METHODS: Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 68 Soldiers at 3 months post-OEF/OIF deployment. Soldiers were asked about changes in their experiences of pain, burdensomeness, and lack of belonging. The methodology employed was descriptive phenomenological. RESULTS: Transcripts were reviewed and themes related to the IPTS constructs emerged. Soldiers' postdeployment transition experiences included higher pain tolerance, chronic pain, emotional reactivity, emotional numbing and distancing, changes in physical functioning, combat guilt, discomfort with care seeking, and difficulties reintegrating into family and society. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the utility of the IPTS in understanding precursors to suicide associated with transition from deployment, as well as treatment strategies that may reduce risk in Soldiers during reintegration.

Suicidality in Veterinarians: Trends at Different Career Stages and a Test of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in suicide ideation and attempt at different career stages and test hypotheses derived from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) in a sample of veterinarians. METHOD: The sample of currently practicing veterinarians used for this study (N = 10,319) was derived from a larger sample. Participants completed an online self-report questionnaire. RESULTS: As predicted, women generally had a higher prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt across career stages, except men and women showed similar rates of suicide attempt after veterinary school. Contrary to hypotheses, no interaction effects between IPTS variables were observed. However, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and hopelessness exhibited the main effects of suicide ideation, and there were main effects of perceived burdensomeness and hopelessness on suicide attempt. Compared with perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness, hopelessness had a relatively more robust relationship with suicide ideation. We also found a significant relationship between fearlessness about death and suicide attempt, but no relationship between self-reported pain tolerance and suicide attempt. CONCLUSIONS: Some of our findings were consistent with the IPTS while others were not. Future research would benefit from a longitudinal examination of suicidality in veterinarians.

Female veterinarians generally had more severe suicidality than male veterinarians.There were no sex differences in suicide attempt after veterinary school.The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide had mixed support in a sample of veterinarians.

Attachment and need to belong as moderators of the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation.

BACKGROUND: In the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, thwarted belongingness is presented as a main predictor for suicidal ideation. Studies only partially support this prediction. The aim of this study was to examine whether the heterogenous results are due to moderating effects of attachment and the need to belong on the association between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation. METHODS: Four hundred forty-five participants (75% female) from a community sample aged 18 to 73 (M = 29.90, SD = 11.64) filled out online questionnaires about romantic attachment, their need to belong, thwarted belongingness, and suicidal ideation cross-sectionally. Correlations and moderated regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The need to belong significantly moderated the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation and was associated with higher levels of anxious attachment and avoidant attachment. Both attachment dimensions were significant moderators of the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Anxious and avoidant attachment as well as a high need to belong are risk factors for suicidal ideation in people with thwarted belongingness. Therefore, attachment style and need to belong should both be considered in suicide risk assessment and therapy.

Examining psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire among college students in India.

BACKGROUND: With the second-highest population in the world, suicide-related deaths in India are high, and adults under 30 are particularly at an increased risk. However, empirical examinations of factors contributing to suicide in India and assessments of reliability and validity of self-report measures assessing these constructs are rare. AIMS: The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ). MATERIALS & METHODS: Undergraduate students in India (N = 432) completed the INQ and questionnaires assessing suicidal ideation, depression, fearlessness about death, and pain tolerance. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses of the 15-item INQ indicated that after removing three items assessing perceived burdensomeness, the two-factor structure of INQ demonstrated acceptable fit with good internal consistency for each of the subscales (α = .84-.90). In line with the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior (IPTS), thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness interacted to predict suicidal ideation. Additionally, these constructs were positively associated with suicidal ideation and depression, and weakly correlated with fearlessness about death and pain tolerance. DISCUSSION: Results support the relevance of the IPTS for understanding suicidal ideation among college students in India. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that modified INQ demonstrates strong internal consistency, as well as good construct, criterion, and discriminant validity among Indian college students.

The rat Pig-a assay using an erythroid HIS49 antibody in a single dose study of isopropyl p-toluenesulfonate.

As part of a collaborative study in the Mammalian Mutagenicity Study group of the Japanese Environmental Mutagen Society, we evaluated the in vivo mutagenicity of isopropyl p-toluenesulfonate (IPTS) using a peripheral blood Pig-a assay in rats. Pig-a mutant frequency (MF) data was obtained for both red blood cells (RBCs) and reticulocytes (RETs) at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after a single oral administration of IPTS at doses of 125, 250, or 500mg/kg. The results of the RBC Pig-a assay demonstrated that both the 250 and 500mg/kg treatment groups showed significant increases in Pig-a MF only at 4 weeks after IPTS treatment. In comparison, the PIGRET assay showed a clear and dose-related increase in Pig-a MF at 1 week after treatment, with a continuous increase until 4 weeks after treatment observed in the highest dose group. These results indicate that the both the RBC Pig-a assay and PIGRET assay can detect in vivo IPTS mutagenicity under a single dosing protocol. In particular, the PIGRET assay, which uses magnetic enrichment to analyze greater numbers of RETs in a high-throughput manner, showed an increase in Pig-a MF earlier than the RBC Pig-a assay. The PIGRET assay is also considered to be more sensitive than the RBC Pig-a assay because it exhibits a low spontaneous Pig-a MF. For this reason, the PIGRET assay clearly identified small increases in Pig-a MF as significant at the lower doses than in the RBC Pig-a assay under the conditions in this study.

Transgender Youth and Suicidal Behaviors: Applying the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide.

The interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) was used to examine suicidal thoughts and behaviors among 129 transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth. Youth were categorized according to their gender identities: female-to-male (FTM), male-to-female (MTF), female-to-different-gender (FTDG), and male-to-different gender (MTDG). Higher percentages of suicidal ideation were reported by FTDG and FTM youth; and higher percentages of suicide attempts by FTDG and MTDG youth. Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were significantly related to suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts. Experiences of painful, provocative and harmful events and acquired capability significantly predicted suicide attempts. The findings support IPTS in explaining suicidal behaviors among TGNC youth. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.

NBS/NIST Gas Thermometry From 0 to 660 °C.

In the NBS/NIST Gas Thermometry program, constant-volume gas thermometers, a unique mercury manometer, and a highly accurate thermal expansion apparatus have been employed to evaluate temperatures on the Kelvin Thermodynamic Temperature Scale (KTTS) that correspond to particular temperatures on the 1968 International Practical Temperature Scale (IPTS-68). In this paper, we present a summary of the NBS/NIST Gas Thermometry project, which originated with planning activities in the late 1920s and was completed by measurements of the differences t(KTTS)-t(IPTS-68) in the range 0 to 660 °C. Early results of this project were the first to demonstrate the surprisingly large inaccuracy of the IPTS-68 with respect to the KTTS above 0 °C. Advances in several different measurement techniques, development of new, specialized instruments, and two distinct sets of gas thermometry observations have resulted from the project.

Conversion of Existing Calorimetrically Determined Thermodynamic Properties to the Basis of the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968.

Formulas are derived for converting the relative enthalpy, heat capacity, entropy, and Gibbs energy from the basis of one practical temperature scale to the basis of another, when these properties on either scale have been derived from calorimetric measurements of enthalpy as though that scale were the thermodynamic one. These formulas are directly applicable for converting certain other properties as well. The conversion relates the values of the property at the same numerical temperature on both scales. The formulas, given as exact infinite series, are applicable to widely differing scales, one of which may vary linearly with a temperature-measuring quantity such as electrical resistance. However, great simplification is well within most calorimetric accuracy when the conversion is from the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1948 to the corresponding scale of 1968, which has recently replaced it, provided the heat capacity is not changing abnormally rapidly, as in a transition region. For convenient application to conversion between these two scales, relatively simple numerical equations are derived giving the differences between the two scales at temperatures from 90 K to 10,000 K. The problem of avoiding the introduction of discontinuities with temperature in converted tables, arising from the existing discontinuities in the temperature derivative of the differences between the two scales, is discussed.

The International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 in the Region 13.81 K to 90.188 K as Maintained at the National Bureau of Standards.

The reproducibility of the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 (IPTS-68) in the region of 13.81 K to 90.188 K using standard platinum resistance thermometers is discussed. The effect of errors above 0 °C on the calibration between 13 and 90 K is analyzed. Calibrations resulting from least squares and "fixed point" treatment of the data are compared. The results show that in general the NBS-IPTS-68 temperature scale maintained at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) by reference standard platinum resistance thermometers is transferred to thermometers calibrated at the NBS within a few tenths of a mK between about 20 and 90.188 K and within about ±1 mK between 13.81 and 20 K. Agreements within a few mK are shown between the observed values of temperatures, employing platinum resistance thermometers calibrated in terms of the NBS-IPTS-68 scale, and the values of temperatures of the fixed points in the region 13.81 to 90.188 K given in the text of the IPTS-68.

Investigation of Freezing Temperatures of National Bureau of Standards Aluminum Standards.

The design of a high-precision furnace for investigating the freezing points of metals up to 700 °C or higher is described. The freezing points of aluminum samples of nominally 99.999 percent purity from two batches were compared in terms of the ratio R(Al)/R(TP), the ratio of the resistance of the platinum resistance thermometer at the aluminum freezing point to that at the triple point of water. The average standard deviation of measurements of the ratio R(Al)/R(TP) obtained on six specimens corresponds to ±0.40 mK, while the average standard deviations of R(Al) and R(TP) correspond to ±0.17 mK and ±0.14 mK, respectively. (The variations in the measurements of R(TP) are amplified by 3.4 in the ratio R(Al)/R(TP).) The spread of the mean R(Al)/R(TP) obtained for five out of the six specimens corresponds to 0.51 mK; the deviation of the mean R(Al)/R(TP) of the sixth specimen from the mean R(Al)/R(TP) of the five specimens corresponds to -1.31 mK. (The sixth specimen may have been contaminated during the assembly of the freezing-point cell or the original sample bar was inhomogeneous.) The results show that aluminum can provide a freezing point (near 660 °C) that is at least as reproducible as the freezing point of antimony (near 631 °C).

The International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 in the Region 90.188 K to 903.89 K as Maintained at the National Bureau of Standards.

The reproducibility of the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 (IPTS-68) in the region 90.188 K to 903.89 K as maintained at the National Bureau of Standards is discussed. The realizations of the triple point of water, the freezing points of zinc and tin, and the boiling point of oxygen are described. The average of the standard deviations of the resistance measurements at the triple point of water of 213 platinum resistance thermometers received for calibration over a two-year period corresponds to ±0.15 mK. The standard deviations of the resistance ratio R(T)/R(0°C) obtained with check thermometers employed for monitoring the zinc, tin, and oxygen point measurements correspond to ±0.28 mK, ±0.30 mK, and ±0.16 mK, respectively; the results of repeated calibrations with five thermometers show comparable reproducibility at the tin and oxygen points but the reproducibility is worse by a factor of two at the zinc point. When suitably packed for protection from possible mechanical shock platinum resistance thermometers can be shipped by common carrier and retain their calibrations.