Interactive effects of acute suicidal affective disturbance and pain persistence on suicide attempt frequency and lethality

Background: Acute suicidal affective disturbance (ASAD) has been proposed as a suicide-specific entity that confers risk for imminent suicidal behavior. Preliminary evidence suggests that ASAD is associated with suicidal behavior beyond a number of factors; however, no study to date has examined potential moderating variables. Aims: The present study tested the hypotheses that physical pain persistence would moderate […]

Personality Assessment Inventory suicidality scales: Suicidal Ideation (SUI), Suicide Potential Index (SPI), and S_Chron in an Afghanistan/Iraq-era active and Veteran military sample

Introduction This study validated Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Suicidal Ideation (SUI), Suicide Potential Index (SPI), and S_Chron scales against chronic and acute suicide risk factors and symptom validity measures. Methods Afghanistan/Iraq-era active-duty and Veteran participants completed a prospective study on neurocognition (N = 403) that included the PAI. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (specifically item 9) administered at […]

Single, fixed-dose intranasal ketamine for alleviation of acute suicidal ideation. An emergency department, trans-diagnostic approach: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept trial

Background Suicidal patients often present to the emergency department, where specific anti-suicidal treatment is lacking. Ketamine, a Glutamate modulator and a rapidly acting antidepressant with anti-suicidal properties, might offer relief. Aims Evaluation of single, fixed-dosed intranasal ketamine for acute suicidal ideation in the emergency department. Methods Between August 2016 and April 2018, 30 eligible suicidal […]

Outreach psychiatric emergency service: Characteristics of patients with suicidal behavior and subsequent policy

Background: Outreach psychiatric emergency services play an important role in all stages of a suicidal crisis; however, empirical assessment data are scarce. This study describes characteristics of patients assessed by these services and involved in suicidal crises. Method: During a 5-year period, detailed information from psychiatric emergency service assessments was recorded; 14,705 assessments were included. […]

Mental health problems and suicide risk: The impact of Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance

Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD) is a suicide-specific, episodic clinical entity that is theorized to characterize acute suicide risk. Little work has examined the role of ASAD in mental health conditions linked to suicide risk. Thus, the current study examined whether depression, social anxiety, panic, and alcohol-related problems were related to suicide risk via ASAD […]

Lifetime acute suicidal affective disturbance symptoms account for the link between suicide-specific rumination and lifetime past suicide attempts

Background Suicide-specific rumination, defined as rumination about one’s suicidal thoughts, intentions, and plans, and Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD) have each been proposed as relevant and proximal predictors of suicidal behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine relations between suicide-specific rumination, ASAD, and previous number of lifetime suicide attempts, particularly whether ASAD […]

Acute suicidal affective disturbance: Factorial structure and initial validation across psychiatric outpatient and inpatient samples

Background A new clinical entity, Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD), was recently proposed to characterize rapid-onset, acute suicidality including the cardinal symptom of behavioral intent. This study examines the proposed ASAD criteria factor-analytically and in relation to correlates of suicidal behavior and existing psychiatric disorders in samples of psychiatric outpatients and inpatients. Methods Two samples […]

Differentiating acute suicidal affective disturbance (ASAD) from anxiety and depression symptoms: A network analysis

Background A growing body of literature supports the potential existence of a new clinical entity, Acute suicidal affective disturbance (ASAD), which is characterized by rapid-onset, acute suicidality. This study aimed to evaluate whether current ASAD symptoms (i.e., suicidal intent, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, disgust with others and oneself, agitation, irritability, insomnia, and nightmares) comprise a […]

Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD): A confirmatory factor analysis with 1442 psychiatric inpatients

Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD) is a newly proposed diagnostic entity that characterizes rapid onset suicidal intent. This study aims to confirm the factor structure of ASAD among psychiatric inpatients, and to determine the clinical utility of ASAD in predicting suicide attempt status. Overall, 1442 psychiatric inpatients completed a battery of self-report questionnaires assessing symptoms theorized to comprise the […]

Construct validity of a proposed new diagnostic entity: Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance

BACKGROUND: The current study presents initial support for the construct validity of Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD), a clinical entity consisting of acute suicide risk and several related features. METHODS: Participants (N=195) were university students who were recruited for a history of suicide attempt(s), history of suicidal ideation, or no history of suicide attempts or […]