Poster #29 - Negative Life Events and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Predict Future Suicidal Ideation in Early to Middle Adolescence

• In Event: Poster Session 18

Abstract

About 22% of adolescents aged 13-17 report experiencing suicidal ideation (SI) in their lifetime (Orri et al., 2020). And suicidal ideation (SI) has been shown to predict suicide attempts and poor functioning in youth (Pearce & Martin, 1994; Horwitz et al., 2015). Thus, it is important to understand predictors of SI in youth. Research has shown that difficulties with emotion regulation and also experiencing negative life events (NLE) are associated with higher SI in adolescence (Colmenero-Navarrete et al., 2021; Hatkevich et al., 2019). However, little research has investigated whether emotion regulation or NLE predict SI longitudinally over time. In the present study, we examined the longitudinal relationship between emotion regulation (ER) and NLE and the development of SI from early to middle adolescence, a risk period for increases in SI. We also tested for an interaction between ER and NLE, given that youth with poor ER skills may experience SI particularly when also faced with high life stressors.

Adolescents (N = 243, Mean age = 12.65, male 50.8%, white 75%) completed self-report surveys on negative life events using the Negative Life Events Inventory and emotion regulation using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale at baseline. They reported on SI (yes/no SI in past month) using one item from the Childhood Depression Inventory at baseline and again at 6 months, and 1, 2, and 3 year follow-ups.

We collapsed SI endorsement across timepoints into one dichotomous variable - yes for any SI endorsement across the four follow-ups and no for no endorsement at any follow-up. Similar to estimates from nationally representative samples, 20.5% of youth in our sample reported SI at one or more follow up. We then conducted a logistic regression with ER at baseline, NLE at baseline, and an ER x NLE interaction term predicting SI (yes/no) over the 3 year follow-up, covarying for SI (yes/no) at baseline. The ER x NLE interaction was not significant, so we dropped the interaction from the final model. The regression revealed two significant main effects, with higher baseline NLE predicting future SI (B = 0.137, p = .009, OR = 1.146) and higher ER difficulties predicting future SI (B = 0.023, p = .016, OR = 1.023).

Our findings suggest that difficulties with ER and NLE are important and independent risk factors for future development of SI in adolescence. This is consistent with prior cross-sectional findings in the literature but extends them to a longitudinal context. Poor ER skills and experiences of NLE could be used to identify at-risk youth in early adolescence to engage them in programs to prevent escalation of SI.

Group Authors

Gordon M. Kinsey-Kerr, Alejandro Gamboa Fuentes, Autumn B. Jones, Giselle MacDonald, Mallory Kisner, and Tara Chaplin

Authors

• Gordon Max Kinsey-Kerr, George Mason University

• Alejandro Gamboa Fuentes, George Mason University

• Autumn Jones, George Mason University

• Giselle MacDonald, George Mason University

• Mallory Kisner

• Tara M Chaplin, George Mason University
  Presenting Author