Implicit and explicit processes of the suicidal course - PRIMEX-S
Final Report Abstract
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) represent complex phenomena whose causes and mechanisms are not yet fully understood. In particular, the investigation of implicit processes has received only limited attention. Therefore, the PRIMEX-S project aimed to investigate three implicit markers previously associated with an increased risk for STBs. It is the first study to examine implicit associations between the self and death in the form of a death-identity-bias, a suicide-specific attentional bias (SAB), and behavioral impulsivity in a high-risk sample and healthy controls. The study included n = 61 healthy controls, n = 42 inpatient suicide ideators, and n = 40 inpatient suicide attempters. A Death-Implicit Association Test (D-IAT), a Modified Suicide-Stroop Test (M-SST), and a Go/NoGo (GNG) Test were administered to measure these implicit markers. Both patient groups showed a death-identity bias via stronger implicit associations with death and a SAB compared to healthy controls. Ideators and attempters did not differ in these implicit information-processing biases. Therefore, a death-identity bias and a SAB can be considered as implicit cognitive markers of suicidal vulnerability, whereby a suicide attempt had no significant impact on their intensity. Attempters were more behaviorally impulsive compared to controls, which points to an impulse control deficit in the former group. Ideators and attempters did not differ significantly in their behavioral impulsivity. However, the impulsivity score of attempters was three times higher than that of ideators. The results provide important insights into implicit processes of suicide-specific information processing and impulse control in individuals with SEV, which can be utilized to improve the screening and treatment of suicidality.
Publications
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Behavioral measures of suicide risk: The Suicide Stroop Task. European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour (ESSSB), Kopenhagen
Brüdern, J., Spangenberg, L. & Glaesmer, H.
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Neue Methoden der Suizidalitätsdiagnostik: Der Suicide-Stroop-Test. 1. Deutscher Psychotherapiekongress (DPK), Berlin
Brüdern, J., Spangenberg, L. & Glaesmer, H.
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A suicide attentional bias as implicit cognitive marker of suicide vulnerability in a high-risk sample. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15.
Brüdern, Juliane; Spangenberg, Lena; Stein, Maria; Gold, Helena; Forkmann, Thomas; Stengler, Katarina & Glaesmer, Heide
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Ein suizidspezifischer Aufmerksamkeitsfehler als impliziter Risikofaktor für suizidales Erleben und Verhalten. 3. Deutscher Psychotherapiekongress (DPK), Berlin
Brüdern, J., Spangenberg, L., Stein, M., Gold, H., Forkmann, T., Stengler, K. & Glaesmer, H.
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Implicit measures of suicide vulnerability: Investigating suicide-related information-processing biases and a deficit in behavioral impulse control in a high-risk sample and healthy controls. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 180, 104601.
Brüdern, Juliane; Spangenberg, Lena; Stein, Maria; Forkmann, Thomas; Schreiber, Dajana; Stengler, Katarina; Gold, Helena & Glaesmer, Heide
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Psychometric properties of the modified Suicide Stroop Task (M-SST) in patients with suicide risk and healthy controls. Frontiers in Psychology, 15.
Gold, Helena; Stein, Maria; Glaesmer, Heide; Spangenberg, Lena; Strauss, Maria; Schomerus, Georg; Stengler, Katarina & Brüdern, Juliane
