1-182 - Novel Psychophysiological Biomarkers of Risk for Suicidality and Self-Inflicted Injury in Adolescent Females

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Both suicidal ideation and engagement in self-inflicted injury (SII) during adolescence have been prospectively associated with increased risk for psychopathology, suicide attempts, and poorer psychosocial functioning, with especially high levels of risk noted for females. Therefore, adolescent suicidality and SII have been considered early indicators of risk. Enhancing our understanding of adolescent suicidality and SII has the potential to inform the identification of at-risk youth and to identify treatment targets for early preventive interventions. In particular, within a developmental psychopathology framework, incorporating assessments of neurobiological functioning holds promise for advancing our understanding of the etiological complexities of developing psychopathology and the unfolding process of multifinality, particularly for transdiagnostic symptoms such as suicidality and SII. In this symposium, three speakers, from three different institutions, will describe studies that explored psychophysiological correlates of adolescent suicidality and SII. The first paper examines self-injuring adolescents’ reactivity, as indexed by self-report and heart rate variability, in response to negative maternal feedback. The second paper presents suicidal adolescents’ and their family members’ respiratory sinus arrhythmia response to a social rejection task, as well as their event related potentials during a flanker task. The third paper demonstrates associations between adolescent suicidality and cortisol and alpha amylase reactivity in response to peer rejection. Our discussant, an expert in the field of developmental psychopathology, will explore the implications of these findings for furthering our understanding of biological vulnerabilities associated with adolescent suicidality and SII.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Meaghan McCallum, Emory University

Discussant

• Theodore P. Beauchaine, The Ohio State University

Individual Presentations

• Adolescents’ Emotional and Physiological Responses to Maternal Invalidation - Presenting Author: Meaghan McCallum, Emory University; Sherryl H. Goodman, Emory University

• Biomarkers of vulnerability in a sample of suicidal adolescents and their first-degree family members - Presenting Author: Erin A. Kaufman, University of Utah Department of Psychology; Megan Puzia, University of Utah; Sheila E Crowell, University of Utah

• Neuroendocrine response to peer rejection & suicide risk behaviors in at-risk adolescent girls: A pilot study - Presenting Author: Laura R Stroud, Warren Alpert Medical School and The Miriam Hospital; Maggie O'Reilly Treter, University of Denver; Chrystal Vegara-Lopez, Brown University; Margaret H. Bublitz, Brown Medical School; Anthony Spirito, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Shirley Yen, Brown University