Leo Sher, M.D.

A research report, “Suicide-specific cognitions and suicidal behavior in U.S. military veterans” has been published in Psychiatry online ahead of print (1).

Suicide-specific cognitions, which generally avoid direct mention of suicide, may be indicators of suicide risk among individuals reluctant to disclose such thoughts and behaviors. Many individuals who experience thoughts of suicide do not disclose them to others. Reluctance to report suicidal ideation can interfere with help-seeking.

The authors analyzed data from a population-based, cross-sectional study of 2,430 U.S. military veterans to examine the associations between the Brief Suicide Cognitions Scale (B-SCS), suicidal ideation, and suicide planning. B-SCS is a 6-item self-report measure of maladaptive beliefs (2). Responses range from (1) Strongly Disagree to (5) Strongly Agree; the six items are as follows: 1) I am completely unworthy of love; 2) Nothing can help me solve my problems; 3) I can’t cope with my problems any longer; 4) I can’t imagine anyone being able to withstand this kind of pain; 5) There is nothing redeeming about me; 6) Suicide is the only way to end this pain. The authors removed item 6 from all analyses.

Total scores on the B-SCS (excluding the item mentioning suicide) were uniquely associated with suicidal ideation and suicide planning. Exploratory post-hoc analyses revealed that difficulties with solving and coping with one’s problems were uniquely linked to these outcomes. The authors concluded that assessment of suicide-specific cognitions may help to enhance suicide detection and prevention in veterans, especially in those who may not directly disclose thoughts of suicide.

Reference

1. Fischer IC, Nichter B, Trachik B, Bryan CJ, Pietrzak RH. Suicide-specific cognitions and suicidal behavior in U.S. military veterans. Psychiatry. 2024 Jun 4:1-10. doi: 10.1080/00332747.2024.2352883. Epub ahead of print.
2. Rudd MD, Bryan CJ. The Brief Suicide Cognitions Scale: Development and clinical application. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Sep 14;12:737393. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.737393.