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Exploring suicidal behaviour through implicit identity and control biases: Findings from the Death-Implicit
Lara Marie Aschenbrenner1, Adriana Frei1, Thomas Forkmann2
1Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000 Bern 60, Switzerland; Graduate School for Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
Comprehensive Psychiatry
|July 10, 2025
Summary
The adapted control Death-Implicit Association Test (cD-IAT) shows promise in identifying suicide attempt characteristics. This tool may help understand cognitive vulnerabilities in at-risk individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Suicide attempts represent a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the cognitive underpinnings of suicidal behavior is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Implicit associations, particularly those related to self-concept and control, may play a role in suicidal ideation and behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate two versions of the Death-Implicit Association Test (D-IAT): the identity D-IAT (iD-IAT) and the control D-IAT (cD-IAT).
- To examine the associations between self-concept, internal/external control, and death among suicide attempters.
- To explore correlations between implicit measures and explicit psychological variables relevant to suicidal behavior.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 116 psychiatric inpatients with a history of suicide attempts was recruited.
- Participants were categorized based on the recency (recent vs. lifetime) and frequency (single vs. multiple) of their attempts.
- Implicit associations were assessed using the iD-IAT and cD-IAT, alongside self-report measures of psychological constructs.
Main Results:
- Recent attempters exhibited weaker self-life and internal control-life associations compared to lifetime attempters.
- Multiple attempters showed weaker internal control-life associations than single attempters.
- The cD-IAT demonstrated better predictive validity for recent and multiple suicide attempts and higher internal consistency than the iD-IAT.
Conclusions:
- The cD-IAT shows preliminary potential in differentiating suicide attempts based on recency and frequency.
- This measure offers a potential tool for understanding the cognitive vulnerabilities associated with different patterns of suicidal behavior.
- Further research, including refinement, validation, and prospective studies, is warranted to confirm these findings.
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