Citation

Huber RS, Boxer D, Smith CJ, Renshaw PF, Yurgelun-Todd DA, Kondo DG. Bipolar Disord. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/bdi.13294

PMID

36606348

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: There is a critical need to better understand factors underlying the increased suicide risk for youth with bipolar disorder (BD) in order to develop targeted prevention efforts. This study aimed to examine differences in characteristics of suicide ideation (SI) in youth with BD compared to youth with major depressive disorder (MDD) that may be associated with increased suicide risk.

METHODS: One-hundred fifty-one participants (92 MDD and 59 BD), ages 13 to 21, completed a diagnostic interview and clinical assessments. Lifetime symptoms of SI and SA were assessed using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to investigate whether diagnostic group predicted the severity and intensity of the most severe or most common SI with age of onset, age, and gender as covariates.

RESULTS: Compared to MDD youth, BD youth were more likely to report experiencing more severe SI, p=0.039, experiencing the most severe SI more frequently, p=0.002, having less control of the most severe SI, p=0.012, and that deterrents were less likely to stop them from acting on the most severe SI, p=0.006.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights differences in the severity and intensity of SI in youth with BD and suggest that youth with BD have greater difficulty inhibiting thoughts of SI which may lead to less resistance to suicide action.

FINDINGS underscore the need for more detailed assessment of SI in youth with BD to better understand SI as proximal risk factor for future SA and a potential target for intervention.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicidal Ideation; Youth; Bipolar Disorder; C-SSRS; Major Depressive Disorder; Suicide Assessment; Suicide Attempt; Suicide Risk; Treatment-Resistant Depression