Using intensive time sampling methods to capture daily suicidal ideation: A systematic review

Abstract

IntroductionThere has been an increased emphasis on understanding suicidal thoughts and behaviors as they occur in real-time, resulting in a proliferation of studies utilizing intensive time sampling methods. Given the continued growth in this area, there is a need to synthesize the feasibility of these methods in capturing suicidal ideation at the daily level, in addition to an examination of study factors that may impact suicidal ideation detection, to guide future research. MethodOnline databases (i.e., PsychINFO, ERIC, PubMed, MEDLINE) were systematically searched for articles published through December 2020 that assessed suicidal ideation at the daily level. ResultsTwenty-six articles presenting data from sixteen independent datasets met inclusion criteria. Across included articles, suicidal ideation detection ranged from approximately 1–92% of participant-completed surveys, with 18-100% of unique study participants reporting suicidal ideation during the study period. Assessment-based factors (i.e., number of daily assessments, duration of daily assessment period) did not appear to be meaningfully associated with suicidal ideation detection rates. Rather, participant characteristics (i.e., baseline suicide risk history, inclusion criteria) were better indicators of a study's ability to capture suicidal ideation at the daily level. ConclusionsFindings highlights the impact of targeting participants with elevated suicide risk at study enrollment.