Beck Scale For Suicide Ideation Research Articles

The influence of negative life events on college students' suicidal ideation: the mediating role of entity theory and the moderating role of meaning in life.

Suicidal ideation is a desire, thought, or conception that is closely associated with suicide, which is an important risk factor for suicidal behavior. Negative life events may impact college students' suicidal ideation. According to the suicide susceptibility-stress model, the interaction between susceptibility factors and stressors may influence college students' suicidal ideation. The present study investigated the role of entity theory and meaning in life in the influence of negative life events on suicidal ideation among college students. A nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted among 938 college students. The Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire, the Adolescent Life Events Scale, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire were used. The results showed that negative life events were positively correlated with suicidal ideation, entity theory played a mediating role, and meaning in life moderated the mediation of entity theory. Finally, meaning in life and entity theory may bring some benefits to college students; that is, when faced with negative life events, meaning in life and entity theory may attenuate students' suicidal ideation.

Long-term detoxification of opioid use disorder with opium tincture assisted treatment.

Retention in treatment, craving, and relapse rate are important indicators of the success rate in addiction maintenance therapy as they evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy and make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan. However, the rate of continuation in the treatment process and the rate of craving in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing maintenance treatment with opium tincture have not been studied. The present study aimed to investigate the rate of relapse, craving, and psychiatric disorders in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing treatment of gradual detoxification with opium tincture. Ninety patients with opioid use disorder who underwent treatment with the gradual detoxification method using opium tincture in the form of Congress 60 for 11 months were enrolled in the study. The level of craving based on the Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) and patients' self-report of drug use, the level of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality of patients were evaluated using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Also, suicidal thoughts were assessed by Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and quality of life by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The study found that the treatment resulted in a relapse rate of 16.7% for relapse. We also found that all sub-scales of the desire for drug questionnaire (DDQ), depression, and anxiety were significantly lower at the end of the study compared to its beginning. Additionally, quality of life and sleep significantly increased at the end of the study. All areas of craving, anxiety, and depression significantly decreased in all follow-up sessions that took place 1, 5, and 11 months after the start of treatment. Moreover, sleep disorders were improved considerably at the end of the treatment. The current study presented a low relapse rate of Iranian patients with opioid use disorder under structured treatment of gradual detoxification with opium tincture in a one-year follow-up period. Opium tincture under the Congress 60 protocol may help to control carving, decrease psychological disorders, improve quality of life, and consequently, lower relapse rate.

Suicidal Ideation in People with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Suicidal behavior is considered a worldwide social phenomenon and a serious public health problem. In this regard, people with traumatic spinal cord injury may be associated with low mood, depression, suicidal ideation, and behavior. To evaluate the factors associated with suicidal ideation in people with SCI, this is quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in a virtual environment. In total, 200 people aged 18 or over with TSCI living in Brazil took part in the study. Data were collected using the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, answered online by participants using SurveyMonkey®. The sample consisted of 200 participants, most of whom were male, from southeast Brazil, with a mean age of 36.22 years, a duration of injury of 134.4 months, and a 32.5% frequency of suicidal ideation, as suicidal ideation was also verified in relation to the variables of schooling, rehabilitation, and consequence of injury. A statistically significant relationship was found between the duration of injury and suicidal ideation. According to the results, a considerable percentage of these individuals still think about suicide. On the other hand, the duration of the injury showed a significant difference in relation to suicidal ideation, and it was observed that the shorter the duration of spinal cord injury, the greater the likelihood of suicidal ideation.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation Following the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kerman Province: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Suicidal ideation (SI) serves as an important predictor of suicide. The prevalence of SI has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with SI after the pandemic in the Kerman province. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 23 counties of the Kerman province between 2021 and 2022. The Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI) was utilized to estimate SI, while multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of various variables on SI. A total of 1421 individuals (47.7% men, 50.0% women and 2.3% unknown) with an average age of 35.17±9.47 years participated in this study. The estimated prevalence rate of SI was 9.2%, with variations ranging from 0% to 42% across different counties. Individuals with SI exhibited a significantly younger mean age and fewer family members. Furthermore, SI was significantly more prevalent among single participants, unemployed individuals, students, those with a history of mental illness, prior psychiatric medication use, and previous SI. Employed individuals had 87% lower odds of experiencing SI compared to the unemployed. Individuals with a history of prior SI had 239 times higher odds of SI than those without such a history. Additionally, each year increase in age corresponded to an 8.8% decrease in the odds of SI. The high prevalence of SI is concerning, and it is essential to remain vigilant regarding its health and social consequences as the pandemic continues. Therefore, it is imperative to provide enhanced mental health services, particularly targeting at-risk groups.

P70: Development and validation study of the suicide screening questionnaire-observer rating (SSQ-OR)

Background:Observer rating scales are necessary to evaluate the risk of suicide because individuals at risk for suicide are often unwilling to seek help on their own. Reliability and validity were evaluated for the newly developed Suicide Screening Questionnaire-Observer Rating (SSQ-OR).Methods:Preliminary items were assessed by 251 experts online and 25 questions were selected. 328 individuals at high-risk and 661 controls from 12 Crisis Response Centers and 5 university counseling centers were recruited to complete SSQ-OR, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). In a 6 months follow-up, we reached out to 176 participants to ask whether they had experienced a suicidal thought, plan, or attempt since the baseline assessment. Cronbach's 慣, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman's correlation, factor analyses, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to verify the SSQ-OR.Results:Structural validity was supported by a two-factor solution using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Excellent model fit indices for the two-factor structure using exploratory factor analysis were confirmed (RMSEA = 0.033, TLI = 0.980, CFI = 0.983). The SSQ-OR demonstrated strong internal consistency. The concurrent validity based on the correlations with other self-reported indicators of suicidal potential-BSSI and PHQ-9- revealed substantial relationships. The high-risk group was effectively characterized by a cut-off point of 4, with a sensitivity of 0.73 and a specificity of 0.79. The SSQ-OR scores were significant predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors within 6 months.Conclusions:The SSQ-OR exhibits sound psychometric properties, and could be used as a complement to a self-report or clinical-administered scale to screen suicide risk comprehensively.

Inter-relationships of insomnia and psychiatric symptoms with suicidal ideation among patients with chronic schizophrenia: A network perspective

BackgroundInsomnia is common in patients with schizophrenia, which contributes to worsening psychiatric symptoms and suicidality. We aimed to assess the inter-relationships of insomnia and psychopathology with suicidal ideation (SI) among 1407 Chinese patients with chronic schizophrenia via the network approach. MethodWe used Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation to assess psychiatric symptoms, insomnia, and SI, respectively. Lifetime suicidal attempts (SA) were collected. Results(1) The incidence of insomnia, lifetime SI, lifetime SA, and current SI was 13.5% (n = 190), 22.8% (n = 321), 13.5% (n = 190), and 9.7% (n = 136), respectively. (2) Patients with insomnia had worse clinical symptoms and higher suicidal risk. (3) Daytime dysfunction, sleep-related distress, conceptual disorganization, delusions, anxiety, and poor rapport were the core symptoms, while late sleep onset and sleep dissatisfaction emerged as bridge symptoms connecting insomnia and psychopathology. (4) Depressive mood, hallucinations, poor impulse control, guilty feelings, insomnia-related impaired quality of life, and sleep dissatisfaction were directly associated with SI. ConclusionOur findings called for formal assessment of insomnia in patients with schizophrenia, which should cover both nocturnal and daytime insomnia symptoms. Targeted interventions for key symptoms may help reduce insomnia, psychiatric symptoms, and SI in patients with schizophrenia.

Clinical predictive factors and trajectories of suicidal remission over 6 weeks following intravenous ketamine for suicidal ideation

BackgroundKetamine is efficient for short-term reduction of suicidal ideas. Predictive factors and outcome trajectories are poorly characterized. MethodsSecondary analyses were conducted on the KETIS study (Abbar et al. BMJ 2022): 156 suicidal patients were randomized to two intravenous infusions of racemic ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) or placebo. Response or remission was assessed over six weeks based on the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI). We calculated i) predictive values of 12 baseline variables on remission ii) outcome courses, and iii) positive (PPV) and negative predictive values. ResultsIn multivariate analyses, bipolar disorder, lower patient-rated suicidal ideas, and higher physical pain were predictive of suicidal remission at day 3. No clinical factor predicted remission at week 6. Twenty and 24 different clinical courses were identified in early (day 3) and later (week 6) follow-up, respectively, including around 40 % sustained remission, 50 % fluctuating course and 10 % no response. Suicidal remissions at day 1 and day 3 were highly predictive of remissions at day 3 and week 6 (PPV = 96.8 and 92.6 %). LimitationsSSI may not be adapted for rapid variations and repeated measures. ConclusionsClinical factors were poorly predictive of remission. Fluctuations in suicidal ideas were frequent, even after ketamine (although less than placebo), necessitating vigilance and multimodal care. Remission at day 1 after one infusion was highly predictive of future remission. The benefits of a second infusion will have to be tested.

Psychometric properties evaluation of the Indonesian version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) questionnaire using a Rasch model.

This study used the Rasch model to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) questionnaire in the case of College Students. The BSSI is a measure for assessing suicidal ideation. Despite being a widely used instrument to examine suicidality, there is a limited report about the psychometric evaluation of its Indonesian version. The BSSI was given to 103 Indonesian university students selected through a simple random sampling technique from various faculties. The sample in this study was aged between 19 and 21. The results showed that the BSSI's factor structure was unidimensional, based on the evidence from a confirmatory factor in combination with Rasch analyses. The unidimensional indicates that the BSSI questionnaire measures one dominant variable, namely suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the items fit the model, their response categories functioned well, and no local item dependence was identified. The results of the BSSI questionnaire reliability test using Winstep show that item reliability and person reliability are 0.96 and 0.86, respectively. These results indicate that the items in the BSSI questionnaire can measure suicidal ideation accurately. The results indicated that BSSI's psychometric properties were reliable and valid for measuring Indonesian college students' suicidal ideation.

Antecedents, clinical and psychological characteristics of a large sample of individuals who have self-harmed recruited from primary care and hospital settings in Pakistan.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and the majority of suicide deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. To evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who have presented to health services following self-harm in Pakistan. This study is a cross-sectional baseline analysis of participants from a large multicentre randomised controlled trial of self-harm prevention in Pakistan. A total of 901 participants with a history of self-harm were recruited from primary care clinics, emergency departments and general hospitals in five major cities in Pakistan. The Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and Suicide Attempt Self Injury Interview assessment scales were completed. Most participants recruited were females (n = 544, 60.4%) in their 20s. Compared with males, females had lower educational attainment and higher unemployment rates and reported higher severity scores on BSI, BDI and BHS. Interpersonal conflict was the most frequently cited antecedent to self-harm, followed by financial difficulties in both community and hospital settings. Suicide was the most frequently reported motive of self-harm (N = 776, 86.1%). Suicidal intent was proportionally higher in community-presenting patients (community: N = 318, 96.9% v. hospital: N = 458, 79.9%; P < 0.001). The most frequently reported methods of self-harm were ingestion of pesticides and toxic chemicals. Young females are the dominant demographic group in this population and are more likely to attend community settings to seek help. Suicidal intent as the motivator of self-harm and use of potentially lethal methods may suggest that this population is at high risk of suicide.

Positive imagery in depressive suicidal patients: A randomized controlled trial of the effect of viewing loved ones’ photos on mood states and suicidal ideation

According to research, it has been suggested that individuals who are affected by depression could potentially engage in the creation and experience emotional advantages relating to positive events directed towards the past or future, with the condition that they are provided with suitable mental imagery techniques. The main aim of this study was to assess the impact of utilizing positive imagery, specifically through the utilization of photographs featuring loved ones, on mood states and suicidal ideation among individuals diagnosed with depression and exhibiting suicidal tendencies. This randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover trial was conducted among 78 hospitalized depressive patients at three psychiatric services between April and August 2019. The patients participated in four individual picture-viewing sessions on four consecutive days. The four categories of pictures were included: loved ones, neutral faces of strangers, natural landscapes, and optical illusions. Directly prior to and immediately following the observation of the visual stimuli (photographs), the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) were completed by the patients. Repeated measures ANOVAs conducted in this study revealed a significant main effect of time on ratings of tension, depression, fatigue, vigor, calmness, and happiness (P values < 0.001). Additionally, statistically significant interactions were identified between picture category and time in relation to the variables of tension, depression, fatigue, vigor, calmness, and happiness (P values < 0.001). The analysis did not reveal a significant main effect of time on ratings of anger, confusion, and suicidal ideation (P values > 0.05). Likewise, the interaction between picture category and time did not yield significant results for the variables of anger, confusion, and suicidal ideation (P values > 0.05). The positive imagery procedure using the presentation of loved ones’ photos showed beneficial effects on the mood states of depressed patients. The findings of this study suggest that incorporating a greater emphasis on positive imagery within the context of clinical depression may offer potential advantages. This highlights the potential for novel opportunities in the treatment of depression. Trial registrationThe study has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (registration number: IRCT20180808040744N1; first registration date: December 22, 2018; website: https://en.irct.ir/trial/33186).

Perceived stress and severity of depression mediate the association between alexithymia and suicidal ideation in patients with major depressive disorder

IntroductionAlexithymia and perceived stress have been recognized as risk factors for suicide in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, few studies have been conducted to examine the relationship between these factors. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 105 MDD patients. Alexithymia was assessed by the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), perceived stress was assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), severity of depression was assessed by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), and suicidal ideation was assessed by the self-report Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI). A sequential mediation model was established to test the mediating effects of perceived stress and severity of depression on the association between alexithymia and suicidal ideation. Results81 of the 105 participants (77.14 %) had suicidal ideation. Patients with suicidal ideation had greater difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF) (p = 0.046), higher severity of depression (p = 0.005) and perceived stress (p = 0.003). DIF subscale score of TAS was associated with perceived stress (r = 0.292, p = 0.003), severity of depression (r = 0.349, p < 0.001) and suicidal ideation (r = 0.229, p = 0.012). Sequential mediation model showed that perceived stress and severity of depression mediated the effect of DIF on suicidal ideation. ConclusionsThis study suggests that perceived stress and severity of depression fully mediate the relationship between difficulty in identifying feelings and suicidal ideation in MDD patients.

Social problem solving moderates emotion reactivity in predicting suicide ideation among college students

Objective: To evaluate the hypothesis that social problem solving (SPS) moderates strong emotion reactivity (ER) to stressful events in predicting suicide ideation (SI). Participants: 200 college students: mean age = 20.33; 75% women; 58% white. Methods: Participants completed the following self-report inventories: Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, Emotion Reactivity Scale, and Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised. Results: Regression and slope analyses found SPS to moderate the association between ER and SI. Specifically, (a) as ER increased, SI increased significantly less for average problem solvers as compared to ineffective problem solvers, and (b) SI increased only slightly for effective problem solvers as ER increased. A secondary exploratory analysis found 20 college students who previously attempted suicide reported more negative ER, less effective SPS, and higher SI, as compared to a group of 20 sex-and age-matched peers. Conclusions: Effective social problem solving serves to decrease the likelihood that college students will experience higher levels of suicide ideation even when their negative emotion reactivity is high. Clinical implications for treatment and prevention are discussed.

Investigation of the Relationship of Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempt History with Early Maladaptive Schemas in Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder

Objective: We aimed to examine the relationship between the presence of suicidal ideation and attempt history and maladaptive schemas in individuals with major depressive disorder.&#x0D; Materials and methods: The experimental group consisted of 28 individuals were diagnosed with major depressive disorder, had a history of suicide attempt and active suicidal ideation. 26 individuals who did not have active suicidal ideation and any history of suicide attempt constitute the control group. Sociodemographic data form, Beck Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale and Young Schema Scale-Short Form-3 were administered to the participants.&#x0D; Results: The groups differed in terms of all scale scores (p

Visuospatial ability and attention as risk factors for suicidal ideation in middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundSchizophrenia patients have a high risk of suicide, and their cognition function is impaired with increasing age. The association between neurocognitive and suicidality in schizophrenia patients are heterogeneous. We aimed to explore the relationship between neurocognitive function and suicidal ideation in schizophrenia patients across age groups.MethodsA total of 587 patients with schizophrenia were enrolled in this study. The schizophrenia patients were divided into young group (aged 18–44) and middle-aged and elderly group (aged 45–70). The schizophrenia patients were divided into suicidal ideation group and non-suicidal ideation group according to the evaluation results of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Insomnia symptoms were measured by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Psychotic symptoms were measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and cognitive function was measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS).ResultsThere was a negative correlation between the age and attention scores of RBANS (P = 0.018). The young schizophrenia patients had higher risk of suicidality than middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients (P = 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, the scores of ISI and positive symptoms scores of PANSS were associated with suicidal ideation among young schizophrenia patients (All P < 0.05). Age, BMI, the scores of ISI, general symptoms scores of PANSS, visuospatial scores of RBANS and attention scores of RBANS were associated with suicidal ideation in middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients (All P < 0.05).ConclusionsHigh visuospatial scores of RBANS and attention scores of RBANS were risk factors for suicidal ideation in middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients.

The effect of mobile-based logotherapy on depression, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness in patients with major depressive disorder: a mixed-methods study

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the world. It is essential to study and use effective, available, and affordable psychotherapy methods along with drug therapy to manage the symptoms of this disease. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the effect of mobile phone-based logotherapy on depression, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness in patients with major depressive disorder by using a mixed-methods approach. In the first phase of this mixed-methods study, 70 patients completed the quantitative phase (control group = 35, intervention group = 35). The intervention group received an 8-week mobile-based logotherapy program via WhatsApp (one 180-min module per week) combined with sertraline, while the control group received just sertraline plus education about pharmacotherapy. Data was collected before, immediately after the intervention, and 3 months later using the Beck depression inventory short form items (BDI-13), the Beck hopelessness scale (BHS), and the Beck scale for suicide ideation (BSSI). Then, a qualitative study on the intervention group was conducted to explain the findings of the quantitative phase. The repeated measure MANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect of time and group on the set of dependent variables (F(6,63) = 25.218, P < 0.001). Qualitative analysis confirmed the efficacy of sertraline plus mobile-based logotherapy on depression, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness in the intervention group. Three key themes extracted from the participants’ experiences of mobile-based logotherapy were “efficient instruction”, “user-friendly intervention” and “constructive change”. Mobile-based logotherapy through WhatsApp was an effective psychotherapy method for decreasing depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation in patients with major depressive disorder. It is suggested that educational, institutional, and technological infrastructure for providing and using mobile-based logotheapy for patients with major depressive disorder be considered in the mental health care system.

Psychopathological differences between female adolescent patients with and without suicide attempt

Traditionally, psychopathology has been related to suicide risk, furthermore if we bear in mind that the recent meta-analysis on the relationship between some mental disorders and the risk of suicide attempt are inconclusive, and have been performed with non-clinical samples. To establish the psychopathological differences between female adolescent patients with and without suicide attempt. Comparative, prospective, correlational and cross-sectional study. A sample of 50 female participants was used, divided into 2 groups: one of cases, (n = 25), made up of female patients between 15 and 19 years of age with suicide attempt, and a control group of pairs (n = 25) with no history of suicide attempt. The following instruments were applied: the Plutchik Impulsivity Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the K-Sads-PL, the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, and the Hamilton Depression Scale. A greater presence of the disorders evaluated was found: major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder in the group with suicide attempt. Furthermore, the case group obtained higher mean scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, the Hamilton Depression Scale and the Plutchik Impulsivity Scale. The results agree with most of previous studies. It is suggested to carry out preventive interventions in cases where a considerably increased risk is detected.

Suicide ideation and the related factors among Iranian transgender people: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveSuicide is a significant public health concern worldwide, and efforts to prevent it are crucial. This study aims to assess suicide ideation among transgender individuals in Iran. A cross-sectional design was used, with 235 transgender participants recruited through snowball sampling across Iran. The data collection included a questionnaire containing demographic inquiries, while the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation was employed to gather data. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using SPSS software.ResultsThe findings indicate that the prevalence of suicidal ideation among the transgender individuals in the study was 83%, with a mean score of 12.8 ± 8.8 on the suicide ideation scale. Individuals with lower levels of education, younger age, unemployment, and being divorced or single demonstrated significantly higher scores compared to others (p < 0.05). This study highlights the high prevalence of suicidal ideation among Iranian transgender individuals, particularly among those with lower age and education levels, as well as those who have not undergone gender reassignment surgery.

Depression, anxiety, stress, and suicide risk in patients with functional seizures vs. those with epilepsy.

We aimed to investigate the rates of positive screening for depression, anxiety, stress, and suicide risk in adults with seizures [i.e., well-matched groups of patients with focal epilepsy vs. idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) vs. functional seizures (FS)]. This was a cross sectional study. Patients, 19-55 years of age, with a diagnosis of IGE, focal epilepsy or FS were investigated at the outpatient epilepsy clinic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, from September 2022 until January 2023 and during their follow-up visits. We used the validated Farsi version of DASS-21 (Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale) to investigate and screen for depression, anxiety, and stress in these patients. We also used the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI). Forty patients with focal epilepsy, 40 persons with IGE, and 40 individuals with FS were included. Depression and anxiety were more prevalent among patients with FS compared with those with epilepsy. The rate of stress among patients with FS was not significantly different compared with that in patients with epilepsy. The suicide risks were not significantly different between the groups either. Patients with FS are at high risk for psychiatric comorbidities that is comparable or even worse than that in patients with epilepsy. Specific validated scales to screen for psychiatric comorbidities and suicide risk should be integral components of the evaluation and treatment of all patients with seizures.

Elevated Plasma Levels of Mature Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Major Depressive Disorder Patients with Higher Suicidal Ideation.

Several pieces of evidence show that signaling via brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, tropomycin receptor kinase B (TrkB), as well as inflammation, play a crucial part in the pathophysiology of depression. The purpose of our study was to evaluate plasma levels of BDNF-TrkB signaling, which are inflammatory factors in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, and assess their associations with clinical performance. This study recruited a total sample of 83 MDD patients and 93 healthy controls (CON). All the participants were tested with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The plasma level of selected BDNF-TrkB signaling components (mature BDNF (mBDNF), precursor BDNF (proBDNF), tyrosine kinase B (TrkB), and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)) and selected inflammatory factors (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Further, we performed correlation analysis to indicate the relationship between the plasma levels of the factors and clinical characteristics. Results: (i) A higher level of mBDNF and lower openness were observed in MDD patients with higher suicidal ideation than patients with lower suicidal ideation. (ii) In MDD patients, mBDNF was positively correlated with the sum score of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS). (iii) The levels of mBDNF, tPA, IL-1 β and IL-6 were significantly higher in all MDD subjects compared to the healthy controls, while the levels of TrkB and proBDNF were lower in MDD subjects. Conclusion: Our study provides novel insights regarding the potential role of mBDNF in the neurobiology of the association between depression and suicidal ideation and, in particular, the relationship between BDNF-TrkB signaling, inflammatory factors, and clinical characteristics in MDD.

Dynamic change in genome-wide methylation in response to increased suicidal ideation in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Suicide is a significant public health crisis, with 800,000 people dying annually. Most people completing suicide have previous psychiatric conditions, and those with psychotic and mood disorders are particularly vulnerable. Unfortunately, there are currently no biomarkers available for accurately detecting suicidal ideation. Given the genetic and environmental factors that play a role in suicidal ideation, we attempted to determine epigenetic modifications, specifically DNA methylation, in response to changes in suicidal ideation. Using a longitudinal study design, 31 participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were interviewed at a baseline visit and again at a follow-up visit 3-12months later. Current suicidal ideation was recorded at both visits with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, and whole blood was collected for methylation analysis. Our analysis shows a significant negative correlation between cg26910920 methylation and increasing Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale scores and a positive correlation between cg13673029 methylation and increasing Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation scores. This pilot study indicates that there is the possibility that DNA methylation can respond to changes in suicidal ideation over timeand potentially be used as a biomarker of suicidal ideation in the future.