Intense Affective States in Signaling a Suicide Crisis

1. Intense Affective States in Signaling a Suicide Crisis

2. The Study • Examine the presence of intense affective states prior to completion of suicide • Why might this be important? • Identify to prevent • Clients who withhold intentions

3. The sample • Reports from mental health practitioners of one client who completed suicide (n=36) • Reports from practitioners of one client who has no history of suicidal ideation or attempts (n=26)

4. Results • Those who died of suicide… • More likely to have comorbid Axis 1 • More likely to have comorbid Axis 2 • Reported on average 4.8 intense affective state as compared to 1.4 • At least one intense affective state • 91.7% having ≥3 • 58% having ≥ 5

5. Intense affective states • 9 intense affective states were explored • Desperation • Hopelessness • Feelings of abandonment • Self-hatred • Rage • Anxiety • Loneliness • Guilt • Humiliation

6. Intense Affective States • In those who committed suicide 7 of 9 were significantly more frequent • Desperation (83.3%) • Hopelessness (66.7%) • Feelings of abandonment (55.5%) • Self-hatred (44.4%) • Rage (58.3%) • Anxiety (58.3%) • Loneliness (38.9%) • Most often Co-occurring with Desperation… • Hopelessness (70%) • Rage (63%) • Anxiety(63%) • Feelings of abandonment (56%)

7. Moderation • The interaction between the IV and the predicted moderator must be significant when predicting the outcome variable.

8. Mediation • The IV must be associated with the predicted mediator • The predicted mediator must be associated with the DV • When statistically controlled for; association between the IV and DV should be non-significant or significantly reduced.

9. Carl's Affective states?