Insomnia and Nightmare as Vulnerability Factors for Suicidal Ideation from the Perspective of Integrated...

Insomnia and nightmares have been identified as significant predictors of suicidal ideation (SI), but the specific psychological processes underlying this relationship remain unclear. The current study aimed to examine the insomnia/nightmares-SI relationship, concerning the mediating role of defeat and entrapment according to the integrated motivational-volitional (IMV) model in the Iranian population.

Participants (N = 459) completed a self-report survey assessing insomnia/nightmare symptoms, feelings of entrapment and defeat, and SI. Path analysis was conducted to evaluate the mediating effect of defeat and entrapment on the association between insomnia/nightmares and SI.

Findings indicated that insomnia/nightmare symptoms were correlated with SI. Moreover, findings demonstrated that entrapment mediated the relationship between insomnia $\left(\beta \text{\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}0.03,}p\text{\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}0.001}\right)$/nightmares $(\beta \text{\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}0.24, }p <\text{0.072})$ and SI. Additionally, insomnia $(\beta \text{=} \text{0.07, }p\text{\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}0.001})$ and nightmares $\left(\beta \text{\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}0.04, }p\text{\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}0.022}\right)$ had indirect effect on SI through defeat.

The findings offer new insights into the psychological mechanisms linking insomnia/nightmare symptoms and SI by highlighting the role of defeat and entrapment. However, the complicated relationship between sleep disturbances and SI warrants further examination through longitudinal studies. Such studies are crucial for developing targeted interventions to prevent the emergence of SI in individuals who suffer from sleep disturbances.