Symptom co-fluctuations with suicidal ideation over time: a dynamic time warp analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Epidemiology
• Computational Psychiatry

Background:

• Suicidal ideation (SI) is a significant global health concern.
• The complex relationship between SI and other psychological symptoms requires further investigation.
• Understanding symptom dynamics is key to developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify symptoms that co-fluctuate with or temporally precede suicidal ideation (SI).
• To elucidate the dynamic interplay between SI and various psychological symptoms.
• To improve the understanding of symptom trajectories in individuals with internalizing disorders.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data from three Dutch psychiatric cohorts (April 2020-February 2022) were analyzed.
• Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) was employed to quantify within-person symptom similarity and temporal relationships with SI.
• Participants with fluctuating SI and internalizing disorders were included, with analysis of depressive, anxiety, happiness, loneliness, and worry symptoms.

Main Results:

• Over 300 participants exhibited increasing SI over time.
• SI was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (sad mood, low self-esteem, low interest, reduced happiness), anxiety symptoms (fear of losing control, faintness), and worry.
• Interpersonal symptoms like feeling abandoned or lonely did not show a significant association after FDR correction.

Conclusions:

• Suicidal ideation (SI) is part of a broader symptom network extending beyond depression.
• Time-sensitive, individualized monitoring methods like DTW are valuable for understanding SI emergence.
• Affective, cognitive, and distress symptoms can serve as critical indicators for SI changes and intervention targets.