(PS13-44) The Impact of Past Suicide History on Future Suicide Attempts as Mediated by Personal Recovery

Suicide is a major public health concern, with death by suicide being one of the leading causes of death in the United States (CDC, 2023). However, the recovery process from a suicide attempt is understudied. The personal recovery movement emphasizes the need for reclaiming personal agency and creating meaning in the lives of those recovering from a suicide attempt (Sokol et al., 2023). In order to examine the relationship between past suicide history, personal recovery, and future suicidality, a cross-sectional research design was used to compare individuals with and without a history of suicidality on the domains of personal recovery and future suicidality. Participants with a history of suicidal attempts and ideations (n= 150), and participants without a history of suicidal ideations (n= 150) were compared on dimensions of personal recovery and future suicidality. Personal Recovery was measured on both a global level and within four defined dimensions: (1) self-worth (how individuals value themselves), (2) life worth (how individuals perceive the value and worth of their own lives), (3) social worth (how individuals feel values in their relationships), and (4) self-understanding (how well individuals believe they may understand themselves) (Sokol et al., 2023).  A mediation analysis revealed that suicide history positively predicts future suicide ideation (B= 1.75, z=10.12, p < 0.001). Indirect effects of the analysis revealed personal recovery significantly mediates the relationship between past suicide history and future suicidality, (B=0.47, z= 4.79, p < 0.001). Further analysis found similar results amongst the four dimensions of personal recovery. Indirect effects of a mediation analysis found that suicide history positively predicts future suicidality as mediated by self-worth (B=0.39, z=4.34, p < 0.001), life worth (B=0.39, z=3.89, p < 0.001), social worth (B=0.36, z=3.81, p < 0.001), and self-understanding (B= 0.22, z=2.93, p < 0.001). These results have significant implications for the process of recovery for those with a suicide history. Future research on the risk factors associated with future suicidality is needed in order to help clinicians be informed and prepared to deal with suicidal populations.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Suicide data and statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 12, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html

Sokol, Y., Glatt, S., Levin, C., Tran, P., Rosensweig, C., Silver, C., ... & Goodman, M. (2023). Recovery after a suicidal episode: Developing and validating the Recovery Evaluation and Suicide Support Tool (RESST). Psychological assessment, 35(10), 842.