Daily Variation in Suicidal Ideation in Individuals With and Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Limited understanding of daily fluctuations in suicide ideation (SI) among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Need to characterize the frequency and intensity of SI in relation to PTSD for improved clinical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine daily variations in SI frequency and intensity in individuals with and without PTSD.
• To compare SI characteristics between individuals with and without probable PTSD.

Main Methods:

• Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology used for 15 days.
• 156 participants (78 with PTSD, 78 without PTSD) completed four daily self-report SI assessments.
• Linear mixed models analyzed daily and overall SI frequency (FSI), mean intensity (MSI), and highest intensity (HSI).

Main Results:

• Individuals with PTSD reported significantly higher overall FSI (23.2% vs. 2.0%), MSI intensity (1.01 vs. 0.04), and HSI intensity (3.26 vs. 0.87) compared to controls.
• Among those with PTSD and SI, substantial proportions reported high MSI (10.9% with scores 5-10) and HSI (32.6% with scores 8-10).
• No significant differences in SI frequency or intensity were found based on the day of the week or weekday/weekend variations.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with PTSD exhibit significantly elevated daily suicide ideation frequency and intensity.
• Characterizing the episodic versus persistent nature of high SI intensity is important for understanding suicide risk.
• Findings underscore the need for interventions and clinical care tailored to the daily variations in SI experienced by individuals with PTSD.