Mood dynamics in adolescents and young adults with and without a history of suicidal thoughts and actions: a network approach

Background Technological advances can be useful to overcome the mainly retrospective research in the field of suicidal behavior. Integrating established theories on suicidal behavior, namely the dynamic system theory and the network theory, the goal of the present study was to examine real life moment-to-moment mood networks between anhedonia, anxiety, depression, hopelessness, irritability, and stress in individuals with a history of suicidal thoughts only, suicidal actions, and no suicidal behavior. Methods A history of suicidal thoughts (wish, ideation) and actions (plan, attempt) was assessed face-to-face using a standardized interview in a random community-based sample of individuals aged 14 to 21 years from Dresden, Germany ( N = 1,180, response rate 21.7%). Mood states were examined using smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) on four consecutive days eight times a day. The analysis sample included n = 1,072 participants with available EMA data consisting of a suicidal thought group ( n = 94), a suicidal action group ( n = 76), and a no suicidal behavior group ( n = 902). Using vector-autoregression analyses (R package mlVAR), contemporaneous and temporal networks were determined. Results Descriptive results revealed quite similar contemporaneous networks in all groups, except for differences in some edge weights. Temporal networks differed in the overall density pointing towards stronger associations between mood states in the suicidal action group. Here, additional analyses revealed interaction effects by group in the associations between irritability and anhedonia, irritability and stress, anhedonia and hopelessness. Conclusions Future research should consider these patterns in trying to explain why some people act on their suicidal thoughts.