Neuropsychological Patterns of Suicide Ideators and Suicide Attempters
NCT ID: NCT06248268
Last Updated: 2026-01-16
Study Results
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Basic Information
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RECRUITING
180 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
2024-08-08
2026-12-31
Brief Summary
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The overall aim of project 1 is to determine (neuro-) psychological differences between suicide attempters, suicide ideators, a clinical control group, and healthy controls. Study participants in project 1 will participate in a one-time (neuro-) psychological assessment.
Project 1 of this study is an observational cross-sectional study with four groups that will be conducted at the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bern (Switzerland): Patients with at least one suicide attempt in their past (SUAT), patients with suicidal ideation (SUID), patients from the same clinical cohort, without neither suicidal behavior or ideation (CLIN) and the healthy group (HLTH). The cohorts to be examined (SUAT \& SUID) will be compared to the two control groups (CLIN \& HLTH). Only people who have signed the informed consent and meet the eligibility criteria can participate in this study.
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Detailed Description
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The present study consists of 3 projects in total and aims to investigate the (neuro-) psychological patterns from suicidal ideation to suicidal behavior as well as the effects and feasibility of ASSIP Home Treatment.
The aim of this project is to distinguish the (neuro-) psychological patterns of suicide ideators from suicide attempters by investigating four experimental groups. For this purpose, neuropsychological functioning, as well as psychological process factors, are analyzed. Patients with at least one prior suicide attempt are compared to patients with suicidal ideation, to a clinical control group, as well as to healthy controls. For this project, patients who are being treated at the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bern (Switzerland) at the time of the project will be requested. Afterwards, participants with a suicide attempt in their history will also be asked to participate in the longitudinal part of the study, which is Project 2.
Background:
In Switzerland, approximately three people die by suicide every day, and suicide attempts exceed this number by far. As a previous suicide attempt is one of the strongest predictors of a completed suicide, it is of utmost importance to identify the people at risk. However, research has shown that traditional risk factors (e.g., depression, psychiatric disorder, etc.) reliably predict suicidal ideation but poorly predict suicidal behavior. Furthermore, while effective suicide-specific interventions exist, up to 50% of the suicide attempters reject the recommended treatment, and around 60% discontinue treatment after one session. Hence, a different approach is required. In this study, three projects will be conducted. In Project 1, (neuro-) psychological patterns of suicide attempters will be identified by comparing the following four different groups:
1. patients with a prior suicide attempt (SUAT),
2. patients with no prior suicide attempt but suicidal ideation (SUID),
3. a general patient group (CLIN), and
4. a healthy control group (HLTH).
Project 2 will investigate how these patterns are modulated by the efficacious brief therapy ASSIP. In Project 3, the feasibility, effects and cost-effectiveness of the ASSIP Home Treatment will be investigated.
Study design of Project 1:
Project 1 of this study is a quantitative cross-sectional and observational study with four groups that will be conducted at the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bern (Switzerland): Patients with at least one suicide attempt in their past (SUAT), patients with suicidal ideation (SUID), patients from the same clinical cohort without suicidal behavior or ideation (CLIN), and the healthy group (HLTH). The cohorts to be examined (SUAT \& SUID) will be compared to two control groups (CLIN \& HLTH). Study participants in Project 1 will participate in a one-time (neuro-) psychological assessment. To account for the heterogeneity in suicide attempters, suicide ideators, generally clinical patients and healthy controls, the samples will be balanced for age, gender and treatment setting by group matching.
Conditions
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Study Design
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CASE_CONTROL
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Study Groups
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Suicide attempters
Patients with at least one previous suicide attempt
(Neuro-)psychological assessment
The measurement, which takes place 1 week after the informed consent, aims to determine the distinct (neuro-) psychological patterns of suicidal behavior versus suicidal ideation, in comparison to two control groups.
Suicide ideators
Patients with suicidal thoughts, but no previous suicide attempt
(Neuro-)psychological assessment
The measurement, which takes place 1 week after the informed consent, aims to determine the distinct (neuro-) psychological patterns of suicidal behavior versus suicidal ideation, in comparison to two control groups.
Clinical control group
Patients without suicidal behavior and thoughts
(Neuro-)psychological assessment
The measurement, which takes place 1 week after the informed consent, aims to determine the distinct (neuro-) psychological patterns of suicidal behavior versus suicidal ideation, in comparison to two control groups.
Healthy controls
Healthy persons without suicidal behavior and thoughts
(Neuro-)psychological assessment
The measurement, which takes place 1 week after the informed consent, aims to determine the distinct (neuro-) psychological patterns of suicidal behavior versus suicidal ideation, in comparison to two control groups.
Interventions
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(Neuro-)psychological assessment
The measurement, which takes place 1 week after the informed consent, aims to determine the distinct (neuro-) psychological patterns of suicidal behavior versus suicidal ideation, in comparison to two control groups.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Age ≥ 18 years
Additional inclusion criterion for the SUAT group in project 1:
• At least one previous suicide attempt
Additional inclusion criterion for the SUID group in project 1:
• Suicidal ideation
Additional inclusion criterion for the CLIN group in project 1:
Exclusion Criteria
* Any current psychotic disorder
* Any current medication, which substantially impairs the attention span, reaction rate or any other relevant cognitive functions
* Inability to follow the procedures of the study (e.g., insufficient mastery of the German language, previous enrolment into the current study)
Additional exclusion criterion for the SUID group:
• Previous suicidal behavior
* Previous suicidal behavior
* Suicidal ideation
Additional exclusion criterion for the HLTH group:
• Current psychiatric disorder treated on an inpatient, day-care or outpatient basis
18 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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University of Bern
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Anja C. Gysin-Maillart, PD Dr. phil.
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Bern, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Translational Research Center
Lara M. Aschenbrenner, M.Sc.
Role: STUDY_CHAIR
University of Bern, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Translational Research Center
Locations
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University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern
Bern, , Switzerland
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Peter, C. and A. Tuch, Suizidgedanken und Suizidversuche in der Schweizer Bevölkerung. Obsan Bulletin. Vol. 7. 2019, Nêuchatel. 2019.
Bostwick JM, Pabbati C, Geske JR, McKean AJ. Suicide Attempt as a Risk Factor for Completed Suicide: Even More Lethal Than We Knew. Am J Psychiatry. 2016 Nov 1;173(11):1094-1100. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.15070854. Epub 2016 Aug 13.
Ystgaard M, Arensman E, Hawton K, Madge N, van Heeringen K, Hewitt A, de Wilde EJ, De Leo D, Fekete S. Deliberate self-harm in adolescents: comparison between those who receive help following self-harm and those who do not. J Adolesc. 2009 Aug;32(4):875-91. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.10.010. Epub 2008 Nov 22.
Klonsky ED, May A. Rethinking impulsivity in suicide. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2010 Dec;40(6):612-9. doi: 10.1521/suli.2010.40.6.612.
May, A.M. and E.D. Klonsky, What distinguishes suicide attempters from suicide ideators? A meta-analysis of potential factors. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 2016. 23(1): p. 5.
Lizardi D, Stanley B. Treatment engagement: a neglected aspect in the psychiatric care of suicidal patients. Psychiatr Serv. 2010 Dec;61(12):1183-91. doi: 10.1176/ps.2010.61.12.1183.
Smith JL, Mattick RP, Jamadar SD, Iredale JM. Deficits in behavioural inhibition in substance abuse and addiction: a meta-analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014 Dec 1;145:1-33. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.08.009. Epub 2014 Aug 24.
Nock MK, Park JM, Finn CT, Deliberto TL, Dour HJ, Banaji MR. Measuring the suicidal mind: implicit cognition predicts suicidal behavior. Psychol Sci. 2010 Apr;21(4):511-7. doi: 10.1177/0956797610364762. Epub 2010 Mar 9.
MacLeod CM, MacDonald PA. Interdimensional interference in the Stroop effect: uncovering the cognitive and neural anatomy of attention. Trends Cogn Sci. 2000 Oct 1;4(10):383-391. doi: 10.1016/s1364-6613(00)01530-8.
Reitan, R.M. and D. Wolfson, Category Test and Trail Making Test as measures of frontal lobe functions. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 1995. 9(1): p. 50-56.
Schwarzer, R. and M. Jerusalem, Skala zur allgemeinen Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung. 1999, Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin. 2013.
Sheehan DV, Lecrubier Y, Sheehan KH, Amorim P, Janavs J, Weiller E, Hergueta T, Baker R, Dunbar GC. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59 Suppl 20:22-33;quiz 34-57.
Beck AT, Steer RA, Ranieri WF. Scale for Suicide Ideation: psychometric properties of a self-report version. J Clin Psychol. 1988 Jul;44(4):499-505. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(198807)44:43.0.co;2-6.
Mee S, Bunney BG, Bunney WE, Hetrick W, Potkin SG, Reist C. Assessment of psychological pain in major depressive episodes. J Psychiatr Res. 2011 Nov;45(11):1504-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.06.011. Epub 2011 Aug 9.
Hautzinger, M., et al., Beck-depressions-inventar (BDI). Bearbeitung der deutschen Ausgabe. Testhandbuch. Bern: Huber, 1994.
Hughes ME, Waite LJ, Hawkley LC, Cacioppo JT. A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys: Results From Two Population-Based Studies. Res Aging. 2004;26(6):655-672. doi: 10.1177/0164027504268574.
Russell D, Peplau LA, Cutrona CE. The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: concurrent and discriminant validity evidence. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1980 Sep;39(3):472-80. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.39.3.472.
Other Identifiers
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2021-02504 (Project 1)
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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