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An Exploration of the Co‐Occurrence of Hallucinations and Suicidal Mental Imagery Among Psychiatrically Hospitalised Adolescents at High Risk for Suicide

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Adolescents with psychosis-spectrum symptoms are at particularly high risk for suicide, however, little is known about how suicidal cognitions manifest in this population. Suicidal cognitions can occur as verbal thoughts and/or mental images of suicide, and mental images may be indicative of a higher risk for suicidal behaviours. Suicidal mental imagery could be a salient and important suicide-related risk factor for adolescents with hallucinations in particular, however, the co-occurrence of these phenomena has yet to be studied. In a sample of psychiatrically hospitalised adolescents, we hypothesize that hallucinations will be associated with increased suicidal mental imagery and suicide attempts. METHODS: This chart review study included data from 219 adolescents admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Adolescents completed an assessment battery probing hallucinations, suicidal cognitions, and suicide attempts. RESULTS: Adolescents with past-month hallucinations had higher rates of past-week suicidal verbal thoughts and suicidal mental imagery, but not suicide attempts, compared to those without hallucinations. Adolescents with hallucinations reported a younger onset of suicidal mental imagery, and they endorsed more frequent imagery. Past-month hallucinations were significantly and positively associated with suicidal mental imagery, beyond the effects of internalising symptoms. Suicidal mental imagery was positively associated with past-week suicide attempts, but past-month hallucinations were not. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that hallucinations are linked to suicidal mental imagery, an important yet under-studied risk factor for suicidal behaviour. These data highlight the need for more research exploring suicidal mental imagery among high-risk adolescents experiencing hallucinations to inform suicide risk assessment and intervention.

Source: Early Intervention in Psychiatry

DOI: 10.1111/eip.13626

Authors: Elizabeth C. Thompson, Katherine Visser, Margaret Nail, Hannah R. Lawrence, Jeffrey Hunt, Jennifer C. Wolff

Institutions: Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Bradley Hospital, Google (United States)

Language: English

Topic: Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health