Emotion Reactivity, Comfort Expressing Emotions, and Future Suicidal Ideation in Emerging Adults

Abstract

Objective: Emotion reactivity and difficulties in expressing emotions have been implicated in risk for suicidal behavior. This study examined comfort in expressing emotions (positive vs. negative) and depressive symptoms as mediators of the prospective relation between emotion reactivity and suicidal ideation. Design: Emerging adults (N = 143; 72% female; 28% White) completed measures of emotion reactivity, comfort expressing emotions, and suicidal ideation at baseline and of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation 12 months later. Results: Emotion reactivity predicted suicidal ideation at follow-up through depressive symptoms. Difficulty expressing love-but not happiness, sadness, and anger-partially mediated the relationship between emotion reactivity and suicidal ideation at follow-up before but not after adjusting for baseline ideation. Conclusion: The relation between high emotion reactivity and suicidal ideation may be explained by discomfort in the expression of positive emotions and by depressive symptoms. Promotion of comfort in positive emotion expression may reduce vulnerability to suicidal ideation. C 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Clin. Psychol. 74:123-135, 2018.

Emotion Reactivity and Suicide Risk in Patients With Depression: The Mediating Role of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Moderating Role of Childhood Neglect

“…Likewise, there was a significant correlation between higher ER and higher levels of suicidal thoughts and behaviors were highlighted (10). Another longitudinal study indicated that ER predicted suicide risk through depressive symptoms (11).…”

13 Reasons Why: Viewing Patterns and Perceived Impact Among Youths at Risk of Suicide

“…Psychiatric Services 70:2, February 2019 ps.psychiatryonline.org 111 more likely to perceive an increased risk of suicide related to viewing the series, as well as to strongly identify with the lead characters. This is particularly relevant when considering the evidence for the positive correlation between emotional reactivity and suicidal ideation (38). Concern about the potentially volatile mixture of the emotionally charged content of the series, its highly relatable main characters, and the characteristics of youth viewers in the sample seems warranted.…”

Emotion expressivity, suicidal ideation, and explanatory factors: Differences by Asian American subgroups compared with White emerging adults.

“…There is also evidence that the valence of the emotion expressed may differentially impact risk for suicidal thoughts (Polanco-Roman et al, 2018) and may be differentially culturally modulated (Chentsova-Dutton et al, 2007; Morelen et al, 2013). For instance, expression of sadness has been found to differ between Asian American (vs. White) depressed adults in response to a sad prompt but not in response to an amusement prompt.…”