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Updated: Apr 30, 2026
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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
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Emotion Reactivity Moderates the Association Between Momentary Negative Affect and Suicidal Thinking.
Ellen M Wittler1, Kate H Bentley2, Matthew K Nock3
1Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
Brain and Behavior
|April 29, 2026
Summary
Individuals with higher emotion reactivity experience a stronger link between negative emotions and suicidal intent. This finding emphasizes considering emotional response patterns in suicide prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Affective Science
Background:
- Suicidal thinking is often linked to negative affect.
- Factors modifying the negative affect-suicidal intent relationship are understudied.
- Emotion reactivity is a potential moderator.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if trait emotion reactivity moderates the link between negative affect and suicidal intent.
- To examine this relationship in college students with suicidal ideation and individuals with a history of suicide attempts.
Main Methods:
- Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data from two distinct samples were analyzed.
- Trait emotion reactivity was assessed as a potential moderator.
- The prediction of suicidal intent from negative affect was examined.
Main Results:
- Increased trait emotion reactivity strengthened the association between negative affect and subsequent suicidal intent.
- Specific facets of emotion reactivity (intensity, persistence, sensitivity) influenced the relationship differently across samples.
- Findings were consistent across both college student and online recruited samples.
Conclusions:
- Emotion reactivity is a crucial factor in models of suicide.
- Trait-level emotional response patterns are important for understanding suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
- Differences in emotion reactivity facets may have treatment implications.
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