Suicidal imagery, history of suicidality, and acquired capability in young adults

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of suicide-related mental imagery in suicidal behavior. It was hypothesized that greater frequency and vividness of suicide-related imagery would be associated with more suicidal behaviors, and acquired capability for suicide was expected to mediate this relationship. Hypotheses were tested by surveying 237 undergraduate students (59 percent female; mean age=20) who completed self-report measures that assessed suicidal cognitions, acquired capability for suicide, and history of self-harm behaviors.

Hypotheses were tested by surveying 237 undergraduate students (59 percent female; mean age=20) who completed self-report measures that assessed suicidal cognitions, acquired capability for suicide, and history of self-harm behaviors.

Results suggested that frequency and vividness of suicide-related imagery were positively correlated with suicidality. Acquired capability was not related to study variables; thus additional mediational analysis was unwarranted.

Few studies have examined suicidal imagery and how it relates to actual self-harm behavior. The current study provides an exploratory view of features of imagery related to suicidal thoughts; findings imply that understanding mental imagery may play an important role in clinical risk assessment and treatment for suicidality.