Remission of suicidal thoughts: Findings from a longitudinal epidemiological study

Suicide ideation is common in young women. The present study investigated factors associated with the remission of suicidal thoughts in a representative sample of woman aged 18-24 years.

A total of 1389 women were interviewed at a baseline assessment and again 17 months later. Social support, satisfaction with life, self-efficacy and positive mental health were considered as predictors of remission of suicidal thoughts - controlling for severity of psychopathology.

Remission of suicidal thoughts was experienced by 67.4% of the respondents, whereas 32.6% continued to have suicide ideation at both assessments. In multiple logistic regression analyses, social support and positive mental health emerged as significant predictors of remission. Severity of psychopathology did not predict the course of suicide ideation.

Suicide ideation was assessed only with the respective item of the Beck Depression Inventory.

Protective factors, especially social support and positive mental health, outperform psychopathology in predicting the course of suicide ideation.