Demoralization in schizophrenia: A pathway to suicidal ideation?

Introduction Individuals with schizophrenia are at increased risk for suicide, and the Demoralization Hypothesis states that non-delusional awareness of one’s social, cognitive, or occupational deterioration elicits depression and hopelessness. Both depression and hopelessness are established risk factors for suicide and are features of schizophrenia. The present study investigated whether insight into one’s schizophrenia yields suicidal […]

Testing suicide ideation-to-action theory differences among those with nonsuicidal self-injury

Objective Individuals with recent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) are at elevated risk for suicide but our understanding of the factors that impact the emergence of suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts in this group is limited. The current study aimed to evaluate whether the processes identified by existing ideation-to-action theories of suicide apply within this subgroup. Method […]

Negative urgency, (lack of) premeditation, and sensation seeking: Indirect relationships with suicidal ideation through thwarted interpersonal needs

Objective: Differences in how impulsivity is conceptualized, along with a myopic focus on impulsivity’s relationship with historical suicidal behaviors, have resulted in limited implications made from prior research regarding impulsivity and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The current study investigated the indirect effect facets of impulsivity may have on suicidal ideation, specifically, through thwarted interpersonal needs. Methods: Participants […]

Sexual victimization and suicide ideation: An atemporal indirect effects model

Introduction: Suicide is a major public health concern among young adults. Moreover, college students are at elevated risk for sexual victimization, which is associated with elevated suicide risk. Nonetheless, not all college student survivors of sexual victimization think about suicide. Previous research has used the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) as a framework for understanding […]

Evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder decreases suicidal ideation by reducing perceived burdensomeness among veterans in an outpatient program

Evidenced-based posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatments generally reduce suicidal ideation (SI), and the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) may theoretically account for this finding. The ITS posits that SI stems from feeling like a burden (i.e., perceived burdensomeness) and a lack of belonging (i.e., thwarted belongingness). Previous research suggests that change in PTSD severity has […]

Clinically significant scores for thwarted belonging and perceived burden from the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-15)

Background: Social disconnection is associated with all-cause mortality and suicide. Measures of social disconnection with reliable cut-off scores are needed to aid in the assessment of clinically significant change. Aims: The current study sought to identify reliable clinical cut-off scores for the 15-item Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-15), which assesses two indices of social disconnection associated with suicide ideation […]

Pilot randomized controlled trial of a brief strategy to prevent suicide after discharge from residential addiction treatment

Introduction Veterans are at greater risk for suicide and veterans with substance use disorder (SUD) have an even greater risk. Little research has looked into brief interventions to prevent suicide in this population in residential substance use treatment programs. Method We conducted a pilot, randomized controlled trial of a brief suicide prevention strategy called Veterans Affairs Brief Intervention and Contact Program […]

Bisexual-specific minority stress in nonsuicidal self-injury: The mediating role of perceived burdensomeness

Background: Bisexual-identifying individuals are at heightened risk for engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), with the odds up to six times higher compared to heterosexual individuals and up to four times higher compared to lesbian/gay (L/G) individuals. While research has established that sexual minorities may be at increased risk because minority stressors exacerbate psychological processes associated with […]

Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in text messages of suicide attempt survivors

Objective: Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness are considered interpersonal risk factors for suicide. Examining these themes in personal text messages may help identify proximal suicide risk. Method: Twenty-six suicide attempt survivors provided personal text messages and reported dates for past periods characterized by positive mood, depressed mood, suicidal ideation (with no attempt), or the two-week period leading […]

COVID-19 anti-Asian racism, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and suicidal ideation among Asian American emerging adults

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant surge in COVID-19 related anti-Asian racism and hate crimes. Given the ostracising and dehumanising narrative of COVID-19 related anti-Asian hate, we examined whether COVID-19 anti-Asian racism would be associated with suicidal ideation through increased thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness among Asian American emerging […]

Mindfulness moderates the association between perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation in adults with elevated depressive symptoms

A conceptual model in which the associations between perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation, and between thwarted belongingness and suicide ideation, are moderated by mindfulness was examined. Participants were 218 undergraduates (mean age = 20.81) with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. Mindfulness significantly moderated the association between perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation; participants with thoughts of burdensomeness experienced […]

The burden of not belonging: A qualitative study of the applicability of the interpersonal theory of suicide constructs of belongingness and burdensomeness to ethnocultural minoritized youth

Guided by the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS), this study aims to understand the applicability of the constructs of belongingness and burdensomeness and their relevance to suicide risk and mental health among ethnocultural minoritized youth. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using five focus groups with 29 self-identified Latinx and Black adolescents aged 13–17 years to explore […]

Suicidal behaviors in patients with chronic physical illness: A test on the interpersonal theory of suicide

Introduction The unalleviated burden of chronic physical illness (CPI) increases the risk of suicidal behaviors (SB) in affected individuals. This study tested the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) in patients with CPI. Methods Patients diagnosed with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal diseases were recruited from two hospitals in South Korea. Data from 257 participants who completed […]

Mediating effects of self-criticism on the relationship between perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation

Suicide among young adults is global social issue. Suicidal ideation is recognized to be a key predictor of suicide. According to the interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS), suicidal ideation is associated with  perceived burdensomeness. In interpersonal relationships, perceived burden-someness as a distorted evaluation of one’s value leads to self-criticism. Suicide is described as “arrested flight” […]

Psychological distress and suicidal ideation in Australian online help-seekers: The mediating role of perceived burdensomeness

Background Psychological distress, an umbrella term encompassing emotional anguish and cognitive-behavioral symptoms of anxiety and depression, is closely linked to suicidal ideation. However, the mechanism of this relationship is unclear, dampening the utility of distress screening in suicide prevention. Purpose This study aimed to identify potential mediators of this relationship, and whether effects are sex-specific. […]

Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in suicide notes

Background: Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide postulates that suicide occurs because of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, combined with a capability for committing suicide. Aims: The present study examines the frequency of the presence of the themes of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in suicide notes. Methods: A total of 261 suicide notes from 1091 consecutive completed suicides in Tasmania […]

Autistic traits and self‑harm in adolescents: A study on interpersonal psychological theory of suicide

Background The purpose of the study was to investigate whether autistic traits predicted the presence and recurrence of self-harm and to determine any relationship mediated by the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), which composed of the social infuence of negative life experiences on suicide, is referred to as “acquired capability”, while proximal social risk […]

Comparing the role of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in prospectively predicting active suicidal ideation

Objective The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide has been foundational in guiding current suicide literature. Despite recent research underscoring fluctuations of suicidal ideation within hours, there have been few studies examining the key constructs of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness within an intensive framework. Thus, the current study aimed to add cumulative knowledge regarding the within-person […]

Perceived abusive supervision and graduate students’ suicidal ideation: From the perspective of interpersonal psychological theory of suicide

Background In recent years, the issue of suicide caused by the stress of a contradictory relationship between graduate students and academic supervisors has aroused heated discussion in society. Based on the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide, this study aims to examine the influence of the perceived abusive supervision on graduate students’ suicidal ideation and the […]

Coping competence and hopelessness moderate the influence of perceived burdensomeness on suicidal ideation in undergraduate college students

According to the interpersonal theory of suicide, the perception of imposing a burden on loved ones increases the risk for suicidal ideation. Little research, however, has examined the interaction of burdensomeness with cognitive variables in predicting suicidal ideation in college students even though the relationship between burdensomeness and ideation may be contingent on levels of […]

Suicidal ideation in elite schools: A test of the Interpersonal Theory and the Escape Theory of suicide

Objective The present study compared the ability of two contemporary theories of suicidal behavior—the interpersonal and escape theories of suicide—to predict suicidal ideation. The interpersonal theory proposes that the interaction of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness predicts suicidal ideation. The escape theory proposes that feelings of failure predict suicidal ideation and that escape motivation mediates […]

The link between discrimination and worst point suicidal ideation among sexual and gender minority adults

Objective Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults often report a disproportionately high rate of suicidal ideation compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. The current study aimed to understand the relationship between discrimination for one’s sexual orientation or gender identity and suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that discrimination would be associated with suicidal ideation at one’s […]

Social support mediates the association between disclosure of suicide attempt and depression, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness

Objective Prior research has found disclosure of concealable stigmatized statuses, including suicide attempt survivorship, to be associated with positive mental health outcomes. This study sought to test the mediating effect of self-reported social support on the association between disclosure of suicide attempt and suicide risk factors in a sample of undergraduate college students. Method Data […]