Suicidal ideation trajectories among adults following psychiatric hospitalization
Recommended Citation
Saulnier KG, Ilgen MA, Lapidos A, Abraham KM, Ganoczy D, Jagusch J, Kim HM, Vega E, Ahmedani BK, Pfeiffer PN. Suicidal ideation trajectories among adults following psychiatric hospitalization. Behav Res Ther. 2026;199:104997.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2026
Publication Title
Behaviour research and therapy
Keywords
Humans, Suicidal Ideation, Female, Male, Adult, Hospitalization, Suicide, Attempted, Risk Factors, Middle Aged, Young Adult, Hospitals, Psychiatric, Loneliness, Depression
Abstract
Although suicidal behaviors following psychiatric hospitalization have been well characterized, there is a paucity of literature on trajectories of suicidal ideation (SI) among civilian adults during this period. This study examined SI trajectories following psychiatric hospitalization among adults enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a peer support intervention. Participants were individuals hospitalized following a recent suicide attempt and/or with SI (N = 455; mean age = 32.0, SD = 13.7; 60.0% female) who completed assessments at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Growth mixture modeling identified SI trajectories, which were compared across baseline risk factors and used to predict non-fatal suicide attempts throughout the study. Results revealed three trajectories: High Chronic (N = 57; 12.5%), Moderate Steadily Declining (N = 82; 18.0%), and Moderate Rapidly Declining (N = 316; 69.5%). Study arm was not associated with trajectory. The High Chronic and Moderate Steadily Declining trajectories had higher hopelessness, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and loneliness relative to the Moderate Rapidly Declining trajectory, with the High Chronic trajectory also having higher depression relative to the Moderate Rapidly Declining trajectory. The only difference between the High Chronic and Moderate Steadily Declining trajectories was that High Chronic trajectory was more likely to have had prior suicidal behavior. The likelihood of having a non-fatal suicide attempt during follow-up was higher in the High Chronic trajectory than the other trajectories. Findings suggest that distinct SI trajectories are present following psychiatric hospitalization. Risk factors differentiated individuals with declining SI from those with continued SI; however, more work is needed to elucidate predictors of the highest-risk trajectory.
Medical Subject Headings
Humans; Suicidal Ideation; Female; Male; Adult; Hospitalization; Suicide, Attempted; Risk Factors; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Loneliness; Depression
PubMed ID
41740423
Volume
199
First Page
104997
Last Page
104997
