Associations between total sleep time and positive and negative suicidal ideation: a path analysis in a community...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Sleep duration is a critical factor in overall health and well-being.
• Suicidal ideation is a significant public health concern, encompassing both positive (protective) and negative (risk) aspects.
• Understanding the relationship between sleep and suicidal ideation is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between objectively measured total sleep time (TST) and suicidal ideation constructs.
• To differentiate the impact of sleep duration on positive suicidal ideation (PI) versus negative suicidal ideation (NSI).
• To explore sleep duration as a potential correlate of suicide-related cognitions in a community sample.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional cohort study (SLUMBRx-PONS) in the southeastern United States.
• Objective measurement of total sleep time (TST) using wrist-based actigraphy over seven consecutive nights.
• Assessment of suicidal ideation using the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation (PANSI) inventory, including PI and NSI subscales.
• Path analysis with maximum likelihood estimation and bias-corrected bootstrap resampling to analyze associations.

Main Results:

• Total sleep time (TST) was a significant positive predictor of Positive Ideation (PI).
• TST was a significant negative predictor of Negative Suicidal Ideation (NSI).
• Each additional hour of sleep was associated with approximately a 1.5-point increase in PI and a 1.74-point decrease in NSI.

Conclusions:

• Shorter sleep duration is associated with reduced positive and elevated negative suicidal ideation.
• Sleep duration may serve as a valuable correlate for assessing suicide-related cognitions in community settings.
• Findings highlight the importance of adequate sleep in mitigating suicide risk and promoting mental well-being.