Purpose
We examined whether the tendency to interpret situation-specific information as indicating one is a liability on others (i.e., burden-related interpretation bias) is associated with beliefs that one is a burden on others (perceived burdensomeness) and suicide thoughts and behaviors.
Methods
888 participants completed interpretation bias tasks and measures of perceived burdensomeness, suicide ideation and suicide attempt, and depressive symptoms.
Results
Burden-related interpretation bias was significantly associated with perceived burdensomeness, suicide ideation, and a lifetime suicide attempt. Perceived burdensomeness mediated the associations between burden-related interpretation bias and suicide thoughts and behaviors. These associations largely remained significant after controlling for depressive symptoms.
Conclusions
These results identify burden-related interpretations as an information processing bias related to the belief that one is a burden on others and suicide thoughts and behaviors. As such, they set the stage for the development and evaluation of approaches to intervene on burden-related interpretation bias to prevent and/or reduce suicide thoughts and behaviors.
