The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire: Statistical Considerations for Improved Clinical Application.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• The interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) is supported by empirical evidence.
• Clinical utility of ITS constructs in suicide risk assessment requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the clinical utility of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) for assessing thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB).
• To examine the predictive validity of INQ constructs in adult psychiatric outpatients for suicide risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 318 adult psychiatric outpatients.
• Statistical methods including multicollinearity and partialling were employed.
• The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) was used to assess TB and PB.

Main Results:

• Perceived burdensomeness (PB) significantly predicted concurrent desire for death/suicide when thwarted belongingness (TB) was considered.
• PB was a stronger independent predictor of suicidal desire than TB.
• The interaction between TB and PB did not improve prediction of suicidal desire.

Conclusions:

• The INQ demonstrates potential for valuable suicide risk assessment and conceptualization.
• Estimated probabilities and preliminary clinical cutoff scores for the INQ can aid clinical application.
• Findings highlight the importance of PB in understanding suicide risk within the ITS framework.