Longitudinal causal dynamics between perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation: Population-based cohort study.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide posits perceived burdensomeness (PB) as a key risk factor for suicidal distress.
• Existing research primarily relies on cross-sectional data, with limited longitudinal evidence on the short-term relationship between PB and suicidal ideation (SI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally examine the short-term, cross-lagged effects of perceived burdensomeness (PB) on subsequent suicidal ideation (SI).
• To investigate the predictive utility of PB for SI in a daily assessment framework over seven days.

Main Methods:

• A 7-day daily assessment longitudinal study was conducted with 791 Australian adults reporting recent or current SI.
• Eight panel models were employed to analyze the cross-lagged relationships between daily PB and SI, with and without covariates.
• Analysis focused on identifying lagged effects of PB on SI and vice versa.

Main Results:

• A weak lagged effect of PB on SI was observed for the subsequent day (β = 0.175).
• A larger and more consistent contemporaneous effect of PB on SI was found (β = 0.948).
• Little evidence supported lagged effects of SI on PB (β = 0.008), and effects varied by age and living situation.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest limited value of perceived burdensomeness (PB) in predicting future suicidal ideation (SI) when accounting for concurrent relationships.
• The results challenge the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide regarding the proximal predictive role of PB.
• Greater consideration of other psychosocial and contextual factors is recommended for refining suicide risk theories and prevention strategies.