Understanding suicidal ideation through psychological flexibility and inflexibility: A network analysis perspective

Abstract

Background

psychological flexibility and inflexibility represent complex sets of modifiable processes that may influence suicidal ideation, a major risk factor for suicide in clinical and non-clinical populations. The relationship between each psychological (in)flexibility process, suicidal ideation, and two ideation-specific risk factors (thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness) was investigated.

Methods

409 Italian participants from the general population (M_age = 30.1, SD = 12.3, 76.5% female; 24.7% reporting recent suicidal ideation) completed an online battery of questionnaires, including the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-15. Relationships between variables were explored using network analysis.

Results

cognitive fusion (responding to mental contents as objectively true) and Self-as-Context (flexible perspective-taking) emerged as the most central inflexibility and flexibility processes, respectively. Both processes were directly connected to suicidal ideation.

Conclusion

cognitive fusion and Self-as-Context may be suitable processes to be targeted in future research about suicidal ideation. Further long-term studies, possibly conducted with larger and more diverse samples and including a wider range of suicide-specific risk factors, are warranted to better elucidate the role of psychological (in)flexibility processes in suicidal individuals and to inform clinical practice.