Citation

Caulfield NM, Karnick AT, Fergerson AK, Bauer BW, Capron DW. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2022; 52(4): 792-801.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/sltb.12863

PMID

35945915

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The current study aimed to explicate the role of dissociation in the capability and suicide relationship by examining how lifetime and state-based acute dissociation contributes to capability for suicide using a multi-method approach of self-report and augmented reality (AR) laboratory tasks.

METHOD: Participants (N = 145) were students recruited for course credit at a southern university. Participants completed self-report and laboratory AR dissociative induction tasks. Correlations and mediation analyses were conducted to test hypotheses using SPSS v. 26 and PROCESS Macro.

RESULTS: There was a significant indirect effect on capability and suicidal ideation via acute dissociation (β = 0.035, SE = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.001, 0.095). Additionally, there was a significant indirect effect on capability and suicide attempt(s) via dissociation (β = 0.19, SE = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.044, 0.449).

CONCLUSIONS: As prior theories suggest, dissociation may augment feeling disconnected from the body and may temporarily impact capability to render a suicidal act as more probable. The presence of dissociation after a painful and provocative attempt may increase capability and pain tolerance. Implications of these findings include the consideration of dissociation as a pertinent factor in the assessment and treatment of suicide and the role of AR in aiding the exploration of suicide correlates.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Risk Factors; Universities; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide, Attempted; suicide; *Augmented Reality; capability for suicide; dissocation; Pain Threshold; virtual reality