3 - (SYM 2) Latent Profiles of Momentary Affective Dynamics in Suicidal Young Adults: Role of Affective Intensity and Instability in Understanding Suicide Risk

Affective intensity and variability have been identified as notable risk factors of suicidal thoughts. Yet, prior research has typically explored these affective constructs using cross-sectional or longitudinal designs. Intensive longitudinal designs have the power to identify dynamic affective experiences (e.g., instability) with more precision. Importantly, researchers have yet to explore if affective dynamics based on momentary self-reports cluster into specific and meaningful subgroups of suicidal young adults in the context of an elevated period of risk, such as after a psychiatric emergency department (ED) visit. In this intensive longitudinal study, 99 young adults (mean age = 20.97, female sex assigned at birth = 81%) completed 4 surveys/day for 4 weeks after an ED visit. Levels of anger, sadness, nervousness, misery, and agitation, along with intensity of suicidal thoughts, were recorded. Mean (intensity) and root-mean square of successive differences (instability) were calculated for each emotion across the sampling period and were included in a latent profile analysis. A four-class solution best fit the data based on model fit indices and included: low intensity-moderate instability (n=40; 40.4%), high intensity-low instability (n=25; 25.3%), high intensity-high instability (n=21; 21.2%), and low intensity-low instability (n=13; 13.1%) emotion profiles. Groups were not differentiated based on type of emotional experience (e.g., anger, sadness). Preliminary findings illustrate that, in comparison to the low intensity-low instability group, high intensity-low instability (B = 5.77, p = .028) and high intensity-high instability (B = 5.35, p = .042) groups reported significantly more intense suicidal thoughts over the 1-month period. However, the two low intensity groups (p = 0.227) and the two high intensity groups (p = 0.403) did not differ from one another on suicidal ideation intensity. Findings suggest that intensity of emotional experiences are more consistently linked to the intensity of suicidal ideation in day-to-day reports and highlight the importance of targeting high negative emotion intensity in the day-to-day lives of at-risk young adults.