Cognitive inflexibility and suicidal ideation: Mediating role of brooding and hopelessness

Abstract

Previous research suggests that cognitive inflexibility prospectively increases vulnerability to suicidal ideation, but the specific cognitive factors that may explain the relation have not been examined empirically. The present study examined the brooding subtype of rumination and hopelessness as potential mediators of the prospective relation between cognitive inflexibility and suicidal ideation. Fifty-six young adults who completed a measure of cognitive inflexibility and suicidal ideation at baseline were followed up 2-3 years later and completed measures of brooding, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. Cognitive inflexibility at baseline predicted suicidal ideation at follow up, adjusting for baseline ideation. This relation was mediated by brooding but not by hopelessness. However, there was an indirect relation between perseverative errors and suicidal ideation through brooding, followed by hopelessness, such that brooding was associated with greater hopelessness and hopelessness, in turn, was associated with greater suicidal ideation. Cognitive inflexibility may increase vulnerability to suicidal thinking because it is associated with greater brooding rumination, while brooding, in turn, is associated with hopelessness.

Early life stress predicts negative urgency through brooding, depending on 5-HTTLPR genotype: A pilot study with 6-month follow-up examining suicide ideation

“…Brooding rumination – a form of perseverative thinking that involves a passive dwelling on the reasons for one’s negative mood – has been found to be associated with depressive symptoms and suicide ideation, both concurrently and over time (Treynor et al, 2003; Chan et al, 2009; Miranda et al, 2013a; Miranda et al, 2013b). Previous research also suggests an association between early life stress and brooding.…”

Ruminative subtypes and impulsivity in risk for suicidal behavior

“…Rumination has been linked with the onset and maintenance of depressive symptoms and also with suicidal ideation over time (Treynor et al, 2003; Miranda and Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007; Nolen-Hoeksema et al, 2008; Miranda et al, 2013). Furthermore, rumination is associated with other cognitive correlates of depression and suicidal behavior, such as impaired social problem solving (Lyubomirsky and Nolen-Hoeksema, 1995), overgeneral autobiographical memory (Williams, 2006), and impulsivity (Denson et al, 2011).…”

“…One is brooding, which involves dwelling on the reasons for one’s negative mood. Brooding has been found to be associated with increases in depressive symptoms (Treynor et al, 2003) and suicidal ideation over time (Miranda and Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007; Miranda et al, 2013). On the other hand, reflection involves trying to understand the reasons for one’s negative mood and is associated with decreases in depressive symptoms (Treynor et al, 2003) but with increased risk of suicidal ideation over time (Miranda and Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007).…”

“…Both lack of premeditation and negative urgency have been identified as potential risk factors for suicidal behavior (Yen et al, 2009; Anestis and Joiner, 2011; Klonsky and May, 2010; Bender et al, 2011; Miranda et al, 2013). Studies examining impulsivity among separate samples of high school and college students found that whereas suicide ideators and attempters had higher negative urgency scores than did non-ideators/non-attempters, suicide attempters had higher lack of premeditation scores than did both ideators and non-ideators/non-attempters (Klonsky and May, 2010, Studies 2 and 3).…”

Clarifying the Roles of Hardiness and Hopelessness in Relation to Suicidal Ideation Among Malaysian Undergraduate Students

“…Indeed, there is a significant correlation between hopelessness and suicidal ideation (Handley et al, 2013;Miranda, Valderrama, Tsypes, Gadol, & Gallagher, 2013;Lai Kwok & Shek, 2010). It is postulated that individuals with a high feeling of hopelessness attribute negative events to internal, stable, and global factors, which may contribute to suicidal ideation and lead to suicide (Abdollahi et al, 2016).…”