Measurement invariance of the Suicide Cognitions Scale-Revised (SCS-R).

The Suicide Cognitions Scale-Revised (SCS-R) is a unidimensional measure of suicidal cognitions theorized to assess the suicide belief system. Several solutions have been proposed for the Suicide Cognitions Scale and SCS-R (e.g., bifactor model with two specific factors, bifactor model with two specific factors, three correlated factors model). Research indicates the endorsement of thoughts of suicide and suicide-related cognitions varies across demographics. Thus, the current investigation tested the measurement invariance (MI) of the SCS-R across gender, race, and sexual orientation within these proposed solutions and a unidimensional model. A national sample of N = 10,625 adults completed an online survey that included the SCS-R and self-report measures of demographics. Results indicated that the bifactor model with three specific factors, the bifactor model with two specific factors, and the three correlated factors models achieved scalar invariance across gender, race, and sexual orientation; a unidimensional model was not scalar invariant by gender. Tests of latent mean differences revealed significant differences in the general factor (i.e., suicidal belief system) and the specific unlovability, unbearability, and unsolvability factors between a few demographic groups. Implications for theory, measurement, and modeling are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Determining who military service members deem credible to discuss firearm safety for suicide prevention.

OBJECTIVES: To examine rankings of credible sources for discussing secure storage within a representative sample of firearm-owning service members, and examine how combinations of demographic variables impact the ranking of credible sources. METHODS: The probability-based sample was collected with the help of Ipsos. Participants were US service members who owned a firearm at the time of the survey (n = 719). RESULTS: The total sample ranked service members, Veterans, and members of law enforcement as the most credible sources and faith leaders, casual acquittances, and celebrities as the least credible sources. Black men ranked the NRA as a highly credible source whereas Black females ranked the NRA as one of the least preferred sources. Regardless of political preference, those who lived in non-metropolitan rural environments ranked members of law enforcement as highly credible sources. Those who lived in non-metropolitan rural and urban settings and identified as liberal ranked the National Shooting Sports Foundation as a highly credible source. CONCLUSIONS: Law enforcement officers, military members, and Veterans are ranked as highly credible sources by most subgroups of firearm-owning service members. Leveraging these voices in firearm safety conversations is necessary, may increase adherence to secure storage recommendations, and ultimately reduce suicide.

Project Safe Guard: Challenges and opportunities of a universal rollout of peer-delivered lethal means safety counseling at a US military installation.

INTRODUCTION: The US Department of Defense recommends lethal means safety counseling (LMSC) to promote firearm injury prevention via secure storage of personal firearms. We describe the rollout of a universal, peer-delivered adaptation of Project Safe Guard (PSG)-a brief, single-session LMSC discussion-at a US Space Force installation. METHOD: Program evaluation data were collected via anonymous, voluntary, and online surveys. Of approximately 862 eligible active-duty service members and embedded civilians, 324 completed the preprogram survey and 68 and 37 completed the 1- and 2-month follow-ups, respectively. RESULTS: At preprogram, 69.1% agreed that peer-delivered LMSC is appropriate. After rollout, 100% of the 222 firearm locking devices available to service members were requested from the on-base Violence Prevention Integrator. The effectiveness of PSG was indeterminable due to the low survey response rates. CONCLUSIONS: Despite strong preprogram support for peer-delivered LMSC and behavioral indicators of secure firearm storage (e.g., firearm locking device requests), several challenges limited the uptake and evaluability of the PSG program in this naturalistic environment, including military survey fatigue and competing mission priorities. Additional work is needed to determine the effectiveness of peer-delivered LMSC in a military context. Sustained base support and military-civilian collaborations will be critical.

Military community engagement to prevent firearm-related violence: adaptation of project safe guard for service members.

BACKGROUND: Suicide, especially by firearm, remains a leading cause of death in military populations in the USA. Reducing access to firearms, especially during high risk times, may help prevent suicide and other forms of violence. The purpose of this study was to adapt a promising existing lethal means safety intervention (Project Safe Guard, PSG) for cross-cutting violence prevention and peer support in active-duty service communities using community engagement methods. METHODS: A two-pronged community-engaged research approach was employed, including the Community Translation (CT) process that engaged 15 Service Members from one installation to help adapt PSG successfully. In addition, qualitative data was collected from 40 active-duty service members and military violence prevention specialists through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. RESULTS: Qualitative data and CT feedback led to site-specific PSG adaptations. Participants emphasized the importance of peer-to-peer discussions and highlighted resource allocation, leadership support, and stigma on firearm ownership as potential implementation challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate the feasibility of community-engaged research to adapt lethal means safety interventions within military populations. PSG implementation should consider resource allocation, leadership support, and addressing stigma. This study has implications for future policies and standards for performing research on sensitive topics, particularly among military populations.

Crisis response planning rapidly reduces suicidal ideation among U.S. military veterans receiving massed cognitive processing therapy for PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among U.S. military veterans and is associated with increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Crisis response planning (CRP), a brief safety planning-type intervention, has been shown to rapidly reduce suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in emergency and acute care settings. CRP's effectiveness when combined with trauma-focused therapies remains unknown. In this randomized pragmatic clinical trial with one-year follow-up, 157 U.S. military personnel and veterans were randomly assigned to receive CRP or self-guided safety planning (SP) prior to beginning massed cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for PTSD. Among 51 (32.5 % of sample) participants endorsing suicidal ideation at baseline, reductions in the severity of suicidal ideation were significantly larger and faster in CRP (F(11,672)= 15.8, p < .001). Among 106 participants denying suicidal ideation at baseline, 8.5 % of CRP participants versus 11.9 % of SP participants (OR=0.69, 95 % CI=0.19-2.52) reported new-onset suicidal ideation during any follow-up assessment. PTSD symptoms significantly reduced over time with no differences between groups. Results support the effectiveness of CRP for rapidly reducing suicidal ideation and managing suicide risk during outpatient treatment for PTSD.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among gender and sexual minorities: Adults ages 25-44 show highest rates of past month suicidal thoughts.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors relative to their cisgender heterosexual peers. However, most research in this area has focused on youth, limiting our understanding of suicide risk among SGM adults. METHODS: To address this gap in the literature, the present study examined suicidal thoughts and behaviors among SGM adults across different age groups using a sample of 10,620 US adults. RESULTS: Consistent with the literature on youth, SGM adults showed higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than cisgender heterosexual adults. When examining prevalence rates across various age groups, young adults (18-25) showed greater suicidal thoughts and behaviors relative to adults ages 45+. However, adults ages 25-44 actually showed the highest rate of past month suicidal thoughts compared to adults ages 18-25. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that suicide risk for SGM extends beyond youth and highlights the need for more research on middle-age SGM adults. Additional resources for SGM adults that are not only tailored toward youth and young adults are warranted.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Indicators of Psychological Health and Suicidal Ideation Within an Active Duty U.S. Military Population.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the psychological health of individuals. The pandemic has contributed to increased anxiety, elevated rates of depression, and worsening suicidal ideation among civilians. Reported rates of burnout are also elevated as employees and employers adapted to ever-changing work environments, finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a work-life balance. The objective of this study is to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the psychological health and rates of suicidal ideation of active duty military personnel in the USA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 2055 military personnel and military-adjacent employees stationed at a U.S. Air Force base completed a self-report survey that was administered six times from January 2020 to December 2021. Validated scales assessed measures of psychological health and suicidal ideation. General Estimating Equations were used to examine how indicators of time and psychological health predicted suicidal ideation in a military population. RESULTS: Life satisfaction, happiness, feeling life is worthwhile, depression severity, and suicidal ideation did not statistically change across the six time points. Worry (P < .01) and depression (P < .001) did decrease significantly, while burnout (P = .01) significantly increased across these time points. Feeling life is worthwhile significantly predicted reduced suicidal ideation (B = -.19; SE = 0.05), while depression (B = 0.11; SE = 0.03), depression severity (B = 0.24; SE = 0.05), worry (B = 0.06; SE = 0.02), and burnout (B = 0.15; SE = 0.07) predicted increased suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of depression and worry decreased throughout the pandemic for those in the study while rates of suicidal ideation remained constant, demonstrating the potential resilience of military personnel and military-adjacent employees in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, burnout increased and significantly predicted elevated rates of suicidal ideation, highlighting the importance of focusing on reducing workplace stressors for military personnel.

Does Suicide Risk Screening Improve the Identification of Primary Care Patients Who Will Attempt Suicide Versus Depression Screening Alone?

OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of suicide risk screening relative to depression screening alone among primary care patients has not been tested rigorously. This study compared the performance of multiple depression screening methods (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ]-2, PHQ-8, and PHQ-9) and multiple suicide risk screening methods (PHQ-9 item 9 and suicide-focused screening of "thoughts of killing yourself" during the entire lifespan, within the past month, and within the past week) in a convenience sample of primary care patients. METHODS: A total of 2,744 patients (military personnel, family members, and retirees) from six military primary care clinics completed the PHQ-9 and screening for suicidal ideation (SI) during routine clinic visits. Follow-up phone interviews were conducted for one year post-baseline to assess the incidence of suicide attempts, the study's primary outcome. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and F1 statistics were calculated for each screening method for identifying patients who attempted suicide. RESULTS: More than 65% of patients who screened positive for SI also screened positive for depression on the PHQ-9. Depression screening with the PHQ-9 correctly identified more patients who attempted suicide during follow-up than the PHQ-2, past week SI, and past month SI. The PHQ-9 correctly identified more patients who attempted suicide within 3 months than lifetime SI, but lifetime SI correctly identified more patients who attempted suicide within 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSION: Depression screening with the PHQ-9 was the most effective strategy for identifying patients who attempted suicide in the near term. Universal suicide risk screening is unlikely to meaningfully improve identification of higher-risk patients beyond PHQ-9 depression screening.

Lethal means safety counseling among firearm-owning U.S. National Guard personnel: Hyperarousal symptoms as a moderator of treatment outcomes.

The U.S. Department of Defense and other stakeholders recommend lethal means safety counseling (LMSC) to reduce suicide risk among military service members. Despite the promise of LMSC, few studies have examined moderators of LMSC treatment outcomes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Individuals with elevated PTSD symptoms are characteristically hypervigilant to threat and are more likely to store their firearms unsafely, which might impact their treatment response to LMSC. In this secondary analysis of the Project Safe Guard LMSC intervention, 209 firearm-owning members of the Mississippi National Guard completed self-report surveys (M [SD] age = 35.2 [10.1] years; 86.6% male, 79.4% White). We used logistic regression to examine the moderating effect of PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5; e.g., hyperarousal symptoms) on the association between treatment groups (LMSC vs. control; cable lock provision vs. no cable lock provision) and the use of new locking devices at 6-month follow-up. At 6-month follow-up, 24.9% (n = 52) of participants reported new firearm locking device use. The interaction between hyperarousal symptoms and LMSC (vs. control) was significant. Specifically, LMSC increased the use of new firearm locking devices relative to control at 6-month follow-up for individuals with low/medium, but not high, levels of baseline hyperarousal symptoms. Hyperarousal symptoms did not moderate the association between cable lock provision (vs. no cable lock provision) and use of new locking devices. Findings suggest that existing LMSC interventions need to be adapted for use with service members with elevated hyperarousal symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Rapid intensification of suicide risk preceding suicidal behavior among primary care patients.

BACKGROUND: Approximately half of those who attempt suicide report experiencing suicidal ideation and suicidal planning in advance; others deny these experiences. Some researchers have hypothesized that rapid intensification is due to past suicidal ideation and/or behaviors that are "mentally shelved" but remain available for rapid access later. METHOD: To evaluate this hypothesis, we examined (a) temporal sequencing of suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, and suicidal behavior, and (b) speed of emergence of suicidal behavior in a prospective cohort study of 2744 primary care patients. RESULTS: Of 52 patients reporting suicidal behavior during follow-up, 20 (38.5%) reported suicidal ideation and planning prior to their suicidal behavior, 23 (44.2%) reported suicidal ideation but not planning, and nine (17.3%) denied both suicidal ideation and planning. Over half (n = 30, 57.7%) reported the onset of suicidal ideation and/or planning on the same day as or after their suicidal behavior (i.e., rapid intensification). Rapid intensification was not associated with increased likelihood of reporting recent or past suicidal ideation, planning, or behaviors, suggesting rapid intensification does not depend on prior experience with suicidal ideation and/or behaviors. CONCLUSION: Detecting primary care patients at risk for this form of suicidal behavior may be limited even with universal suicide risk screening.

Threat Appraisal, Recovery Operations, and PTSD Symptoms Among US Air Force Rescue Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Research among military personnel and veterans indicates that subjective appraisal of warzone stressors explains the relation of combat exposure to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but not the relation of exposure to injury and death to PTSD. Studies have primarily been limited to conventional forces using aggregate measures of warzone stressor exposure. Threat appraisal may play a different role in the emergence of PTSD among military personnel for whom dangerous deployment experiences are more closely associated with exposure to injury and death, such as US Air Force Pararescuemen and Combat Rescue officers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a sample of 207 rescue personnel, correlations among various types of warzone stressor exposure, threat appraisal, and postdeployment PTSD symptoms were examined. RESULTS: The relative strongest correlates of threat appraisal were stressors related to injury, death, and human remains. Although exposure to these stressors was also correlated with PTSD symptom severity, partial correlations of stressor exposure and PTSD symptoms were no longer significant when adjusting for threat appraisal. CONCLUSION: Results support the contributing role of threat appraisal to PTSD among military personnel whose primary duties entail exposure to injury and death under hostile and dangerous conditions.

Differences in firearm storage practices among United States military servicemembers who have and have not disclosed suicidal thoughts or attended behavioral health sessions.

INTRODUCTION: Two-thirds of military suicides are by firearm, and unsafe storage increases the risk of suicide. Understanding who is at risk for suicide, their interactions with behavioral healthcare, and their firearm storage habits have implications for suicide prevention. METHOD: Probability-based sampling was used. Inclusion criteria were current military service and firearm ownership. Analyses focused on those who endorsed past year (n = 180) or past month suicidal ideation (n = 85). RESULTS: Servicemembers with undisclosed past year ideation stored firearms at home more often and with a locking device less often. Servicemembers with past year ideation who did not attend recent behavioral health sessions stored firearms with a locking device and loaded less often. Servicemembers with undisclosed suicidal ideation in the past month stored firearms with a locking device less often. Servicemembers with past month ideation who have not attended recent behavioral health sessions stored firearms with a locking device and loaded less often. CONCLUSIONS: Servicemembers experiencing undisclosed suicidal ideation and who are not receiving treatment generally have more ready access to firearms. Safe firearm storage messaging needs to be disseminated in a manner that shifts social norms around firearm storage, whether or not suicide risk is known.

An empirical investigation of the distinction between passive and active ideation: Understanding the latent structure of suicidal thought content.

INTRODUCTION: Although the distinction between passive and active suicidal ideation is well accepted by suicide researchers and clinicians, there has been very little empirical investigation into this distinction. The current study addressed this gap by examining the latent structure of suicidal ideation based on thought content. METHOD: Participants from two distinct samples of U.S. adults (n1 = 6200; n2 = 10,625) completed a self-report assessment of eight commonly experienced suicidal thoughts using the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Revised. Exploratory structural equation modeling was used to examine the latent structure of suicidal thoughts. RESULTS: The two-factor model demonstrated significantly better fit than the one-factor solution across both samples. Thoughts typically classified as passive ideation strongly loaded onto one factor, whereas thoughts typically classified as active ideation loaded onto the second factor. The two factors were highly correlated and some suicidal thoughts exhibited meaningful cross-loading. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that passive and active ideation are two distinct constructs. Although they often co-occur, passive and active ideation are not nested constructs and should not be viewed as gradients of one underlying construct. Our findings suggest that at a minimum both passive and active ideation should be included in all suicide risk assessments and screenings.

Suicide Intervention Practices: What Is Being Used by Mental Health Clinicians and Mental Health Allies?

OBJECTIVE: Implementation of evidence-based suicide prevention is critical to prevent death by suicide. Contrary to previously held beliefs, interventions including contracting for safety, no-harm contracts, and no-suicide contracts are not best practices and are considered contraindicated. Little is known about the current use of best practices and contraindicated interventions for suicide prevention in community settings. METHODS: Data were collected from 771 individuals enrolled in a suicide prevention training. Both mental health clinicians (n = 613) and mental health allies (e.g., teachers, first responders) (n = 158) reported which best practices (i.e., safety plan, crisis response plan) and contraindicated interventions (i.e., contracting for safety, no-harm contract, no-suicide contract) they use with individuals who presents with risk for suicide. RESULTS: The majority of both mental health clinicians (89.7%) and mental health allies (67.1%) endorsed using at least one evidence-based practice. However, of those who endorsed using evidence-based interventions, ∼40% of both mental health clinicians and allies endorsed using contraindicated interventions as well. CONCLUSION: Contraindicated interventions are being used at high rates and suicide prevention trainings for evidence-based interventions should include a focus on de-implementation of contraindicated interventions. This study examined only a snapshot of what clinicians and allies endorsed using. Additional in depth information about each intervention and when it is used would provide helpful information and should be considered in future studies. Future research is needed to ensure only evidence-based interventions are being used to help prevent death by suicide.Highlights:The majority of both mental health clinicians and mental health allies use evidence-based practices for suicide prevention. This indicates good implementation rates of evidence-based interventions for suicide prevention.Approximately 40% of both mental health clinicians and mental health allies who endorsed using evidence-based practices for suicide preventions also endorsed using contraindicated interventions.A focus on de-implementation of contraindicated suicide interventions is warranted and should be part of the focus on suicide prevention efforts.

Evaluation of Safe Firearm Storage Messaging in a Sample of Firearm-Owning US Military Service Members.

Importance: Nearly two-thirds of military suicides involve firearms, and safe firearm storage is rare. Objective: To examine whether US military service members endorse greater openness to safe firearm storage depending on the content of the visual message they are randomly assigned to view. Design, Setting, and Participants: This comparative effectiveness study used a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design to randomize US military service members to view 1 of 12 visual messages on safe firearm storage. Willingness to use safe firearm storage practices was assessed immediately before and after exposure to the message. Participants were recruited using the KnowledgePanel Calibration approach. Inclusion criteria included current membership in the US military and current firearm ownership. The KnowledgePanel sample was fielded from December 3 to 27, 2021, with a 76% completion rate and 45 individuals determined to be qualified (28% qualification rate). The opt-in sample was fielded December 7, 2021, through January 4, 2022, with 699 individuals (3%) qualified and 674 included in the final data set. Exposures: Messages shared the same image and text on safe firearm storage but varied in messenger occupation (eg, primary care physician, security forces, or combat controller), the presence of text validating the perspective of firearm owners, and the presence of text validating the drive for home protection. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes included changes in willingness to use 4 at-home (unloaded, separate from ammunition, in a locked location, and with a locking device) and 3 away-from-home (with family or friend, at a firearm retailer, or at a law enforcement agency) firearm storage practices. All analyses, including sample descriptives, are based on weighted data. Results: Of the 719 individuals in the data set, 367 (median [range] age, 33.64 [18-86] years; 80.4% male; 71.4% White) who endorsed not currently storing firearms using the methods assessed were included in analyses. In a multivariate analysis of variance, a significant interaction was found among time, messenger profession, gun-friendly text, and home protection text across all outcomes (Wilks' λ F = 2.09; P = .01; pη2 = 0.040); however, in a post hoc repeated-measures analysis of variance, the interaction was statistically significant only for storing firearms away from home with a trusted family member or friend (F = 5.42; P = .005; pη2 = 0.030). The profession of the messenger was more consistently associated with shifts in willingness than was the message content, although this varied across storage options. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this comparative effectiveness study suggest that several combinations of messenger and content may be associated with willingness to endorse safe firearm storing practices, with particularly consistent positive findings for messages featuring security forces. The scalability and dosage potential of this intervention may render visual messaging valuable for promoting safe firearm storage at the population level.

Impact of Treatment Setting and Format on Symptom Severity Following Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Preliminary data suggest cognitive processing therapy (CPT) significantly reduces posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity among military personnel and veterans when delivered over 12 days and combined with daily recreational activities (Bryan et al., 2018). The present study aimed to examine how therapy pace (i.e., daily vs. weekly sessions) and setting (i.e., clinic vs. recreational) impacts change in PTSD symptom severity. Forty-five military personnel and veterans diagnosed with PTSD chose to receive CPT (a) daily at a recreational facility with recreational programming, (b) daily on a university campus without recreational programming, and (c) weekly on a university campus without recreational programming. PTSD symptom severity was assessed with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Reductions in CAPS-5 and PCL-5 scores were large and statistically significant across all three settings (Cohen's ds > 2.1). As compared to reductions in CAPS-5 and PCL-5 scores in daily therapy at a recreational facility (CAPS-5: d = 1.63-2.40; PCL-5: d = 1.99-2.17), reductions in CAPS-5 and PCL-5 scores were significantly larger in daily therapy on campus, CAPS-5: t(80) = -2.9, p = .005, d = 2.23-2.69; PCL-5: t(78) = 2.6, p = .010, d = 2.54-4.43, but not weekly therapy on campus, CAPS-5: t(80) = 0.2, p = .883, d = 1.04-2.47; PCL-5: t(78) = 1.0, p = .310, d = 1.77-3.44. Participants receiving daily therapy on campus and weekly therapy on campus also had higher rates of clinically significant improvement and good end-state functioning. Results support the effectiveness of CPT across multiple treatment settings and formats and suggest that daily CPT may be less effective when delivered in combination with recreational activities.

Scores on the suicide cognitions scale-revised (SCS-R) predict future suicide attempts among primary care patients denying suicide ideation and prior attempts.

BACKGROUND: Approximately half of patients who attempt or die by suicide screened negative for suicidal ideation during their most recent medical visit. Maladaptive beliefs and schemas can increase cognitive vulnerability to suicidal behavior, even among patients without recent or past suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Assessing these beliefs could improve the detection of patients who will engage in suicidal behavior after screening negative for elevated suicide risk. METHODS: Primary care patients who completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Suicide Cognitions Scale-Revised (SCS-R) during routine clinic visits and denied suicidal ideation at baseline (N = 2417) were included in the study sample. Suicidal behaviors during the 12 months after baseline were assessed. Logistic regression analyses examined the association of baseline SCS-R scores with later suicidal behavior. RESULTS: In both univariate and multivariate analyses, SCS-R total scores were associated with significantly increased risk of suicidal behavior within 90, 180, and 365 days post-baseline. Results were unchanged when patients who reported prior suicidal behavior were excluded (N = 2178). In item-level analyses, all 16 SCS-R items significantly differentiated patients with and without follow-up suicidal behavior. LIMITATIONS: Study limitations included missing follow-up data, restriction of sample to U.S. military medical beneficiaries, and inability to assess representativeness of the sample relative to the full primary care population. CONCLUSIONS: SCS-R scores are elevated among patients who attempt suicide after denying both suicidal ideation and prior suicide attempts, suggesting the scale may reflect enduring suicide risk. The SCS-R could enhance suicide risk screening and assessment.

Assessment of Latent Subgroups With Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior Among Gun Owners and Non-Gun Owners in the US.

Importance: Firearm ownership is associated with increased risk for suicide. Objective: To examine patterns of associations among suicidal thoughts and behaviors among gun owners and non-gun owners in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this survey study, cross-sectional online survey data were collected from March to April 2020 from US adults recruited via Qualtrics Panels. Quota sampling was used to approximate US census demographics. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were past-year passive suicidal ideation, active suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, suicidal behaviors, and nonsuicidal self-injury as measured by items from the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Revised (SITBI-R). Simple latent class analysis (LCA) was used to assign participants to separate classes based on posterior probabilities, and multigroup LCA was used to assess whether the same construct was measured in specified groups. Results: Of 65 079 adults invited to participate, 10 625 (16.3%) completed the survey; 9153 responded "yes" or "no" to the firearm ownership item and were included in the analysis. Of these 9153 respondents (4695 [51.3%] male; mean [SD] age, 46.7 [16.8] years), 2773 (30.3%) reported owning a gun and 6380 (69.7%) reported not owning a gun. Compared with non-gun owners, gun owners were more likely to be male (1779 [64.2%] vs 2916 [45.7%]; χ21, 263.3; P < .001) and White (2090 [75.4%] vs 3945 [61.8%]; χ25, 232.9; P < .001) and to have served in the military (772 [27.8%] vs 609 [9.5%]; χ21, 571.4; P < .001). Five distinct patterns of SITBI-R item endorsement were extracted using simple LCA. Multigroup LCA indicated that the probability of SITBI-R item endorsement differed between gun owners and non-gun owners across subgroups. Among gun owners, the probability of past-month nonfatal suicide attempts was highest in class 4 (ranging from 16.8% for reaching out for help to 27.2% for starting, then changing one's mind). Gun owners in class 4 were characterized by high probabilities of endorsing thoughts about specific ways or methods to attempt suicide (100%) and preparatory behavior (100%). Among non-gun owners, the probability of nonfatal suicide attempts was highest in class 5 (ranging from 14.9% for reaching out for help to 29.7% for starting, then changing one's mind). Non-gun owners in class 5 were characterized by high probabilities of endorsing passive suicidal ideation (84.0%-100%), active suicidal ideation (86.7%-95.0%), and thoughts about specific ways or methods to attempt suicide (97.4%) and a specific place (92.1%) to attempt suicide. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, in subgroups with lower probabilities of suicide attempt, gun owners and non-gun owners showed similar patterns of suicide risk item endorsement, but when the probability of a suicide attempt increased, gun owners were less likely than non-gun owners to endorse passive and active suicidal ideation. These findings suggest that assessing a broader range of suicide risk indicators may improve risk detection.

Verbal Response Latency as a Behavioral Indicator of Diminished Wish to Live in a Clinical Sample of Active Duty Army Personnel with Recent Suicidal Ideation.

OBJECTIVE: Research on risk factors of suicide attempt has yielded little improvement in imminent risk detection for clinicians, due in part to the inherent limitations of self-report methodologies. Therefore, objective behavioral indicators of suicide risk that can be implemented practically with little cost in clinical settings are needed. METHOD: The current study examined verbal response latency, measured as the length of time to answer a question asking about reasons for living (i.e., What are your reasons for living or not killing yourself?), as a potential indicator of suicide risk among 97 active duty Army personnel presenting to an emergency department or behavioral health clinic for current suicide ideation and/or a recent suicide attempt. RESULTS: Verbal response latency was significantly correlated with diminished wish to live at the participant level but was not significantly correlated with wish to die or overall severity of suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Verbal response latency may serve as an objective indicator of suicide risk. HighlightsResponse latency to a life construct may be an objective indicator of suicide riskDelayed response latency is indicative of diminished wish to livePathological mechanisms may manifest within dyadic interactions via verbal behaviors.