Harvard University, Department of Psychology, 33 Kirkland Street, Room 1280, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Harvard University, Department of Psychology, 33 Kirkland Street, Room 1280, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
J Affect Disord. 2018 May;232:122-126. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.02.033. Epub 2018 Feb 17.
Theoretical work and clinical observation suggest that many patients experience relief from negative affect after thinking about suicide, which may increase the likelihood of future suicidal thoughts. Accordingly, our objective was to examine whether the occurrence of suicidal thinking was followed by decreased negative affect and increased positive affect.
Participants were 43 adults who attempted suicide at least once in the past year (78% female, 78% White, M age = 23.28 years, SD age = 4.38 years) who completed 28 days of smartphone-based real-time monitoring, where they were signaled four times/day to report on current affect and whether they were having suicidal thoughts. Participants could initiate a survey whenever they had a suicidal thought.
First, we examined changes in affect that occurred when suicidal thinking at the current time (T) but not at T + 1 (approximately 4-8 h later). Negative affect decreased and positive affect increased when participants went from a period when they were experiencing suicidal thoughts to a period where they were not. Second, to assess the time course of changes in affect, we examined changes in affect before and after participant-initiated reports of suicidal thinking. Positive affect increased and sadness decreased.
Given its preliminary nature, the study has some limitations including insufficient power to expand beyond a 4-8 h timespan.
Findings provide preliminary evidence that suicidal thinking leads to shifts in affect. These shifts in affect may be reinforcing, helping to explain (in part) why suicidal thinking is so persistent for some patients.
理论工作和临床观察表明，许多患者在思考自杀后会减轻负面情绪，这可能会增加未来自杀念头的可能性。因此，我们的目的是检验自杀念头出现后，负面情绪是否会减少，积极情绪是否会增加。
参与者为过去一年至少尝试过一次自杀的 43 名成年人（78%为女性，78%为白人，平均年龄= 23.28 岁，SD 年龄= 4.38 岁），他们完成了 28 天的基于智能手机的实时监测，每天四次被提示报告当前的情绪和是否有自杀念头。参与者只要有自杀念头，就可以随时发起调查。
首先，我们考察了当当前（T）而不是 T+1 （大约 4-8 小时后）没有自杀念头时，情绪的变化。当参与者从经历自杀念头的时期过渡到没有自杀念头的时期时，消极情绪减少，积极情绪增加。其次，为了评估情绪变化的时间过程，我们考察了在参与者报告自杀念头前后的情绪变化。积极情绪增加，悲伤减少。
由于其初步性质，该研究存在一些局限性，包括扩展到 4-8 小时以外的时间范围的能力不足。
研究结果初步表明，自杀念头会导致情绪变化。这些情绪变化可能具有强化作用，部分解释了为什么有些患者的自杀念头如此持续。
