Exploring suicidal behaviour through implicit identity and control biases : Findings from the Death-Implicit Association Test and its novel control-adaptation
(2025) In Comprehensive Psychiatry 142.- Abstract
Objective: This study examined two Death-Implicit Association Test versions targeting associations between the self-concept (standard identity D-IAT; iD-IAT) and internal versus external control (adapted control D-IAT; cD-IAT) and death among suicide attempters. Additionally, correlations with explicit psychological variables and psychometrics were explored. Method: 116 psychiatric inpatients (58.1 % female; age M = 33.6, SD = 12.4) were classified as single versus multiple and recent versus lifetime suicide attempters. Implicit associations were measured using the iD-IAT and cD-IAT. Self-report measures included constructs relevant to suicidal behaviour. Results: Recent attempters showed weaker self-life (t(114) = 2.18, p = .016) and... (More)
Objective: This study examined two Death-Implicit Association Test versions targeting associations between the self-concept (standard identity D-IAT; iD-IAT) and internal versus external control (adapted control D-IAT; cD-IAT) and death among suicide attempters. Additionally, correlations with explicit psychological variables and psychometrics were explored. Method: 116 psychiatric inpatients (58.1 % female; age M = 33.6, SD = 12.4) were classified as single versus multiple and recent versus lifetime suicide attempters. Implicit associations were measured using the iD-IAT and cD-IAT. Self-report measures included constructs relevant to suicidal behaviour. Results: Recent attempters showed weaker self-life (t(114) = 2.18, p = .016) and internal control-life (t(114) = 2.26, p = .013) associations than lifetime attempters. Multiple attempters exhibited weaker internal control-life associations than single attempters (t(114) = 2.25, p = .007). The iD-IAT correlated with suicidal ideation (rs(114) = 0.20, p = .032), depression (rs(114) = 0.20, p = .033) and external control (rs(114) = 0.21, p = .021), the cD-IAT with suicidal ideation (rs(114) = 0.25, p = .006) and depression (rs(114) = 0.26, p = .006). The cD-IAT predicted multiple attempts (χ2(1116) = 3.88, p = .049), showed higher internal consistency (rsb =. 31, p = .001) and predictive validity in detecting multiple (AUC = 0.64; p = .013) and recent (AUC = 0.62; p = .028) attempters than the iD-IAT. Conclusions: The cD-IAT shows preliminary potential to differentiate suicidal behaviour based on recency and frequency, offering a tentative step toward understanding cognitive vulnerabilities of at-risk subgroups, warranting further refinement, validation and prospective analyses.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Cognitive assessment, Implicit associations, Suicidal behaviour, Suicidal cognition
- in
- Comprehensive Psychiatry
- volume
- 142
- article number
- 152621
- publisher
- W.B. Saunders
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105009885447
- pmid:40639101
- ISSN
- 0010-440X
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152621
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 6f9ccc69-111b-4712-9705-bd0401cf065f
- date added to LUP
- 2025-10-31 09:43:14
- date last changed
- 2025-11-28 12:08:46
@article{6f9ccc69-111b-4712-9705-bd0401cf065f,
abstract = {{<p>Objective: This study examined two Death-Implicit Association Test versions targeting associations between the self-concept (standard identity D-IAT; iD-IAT) and internal versus external control (adapted control D-IAT; cD-IAT) and death among suicide attempters. Additionally, correlations with explicit psychological variables and psychometrics were explored. Method: 116 psychiatric inpatients (58.1 % female; age M = 33.6, SD = 12.4) were classified as single versus multiple and recent versus lifetime suicide attempters. Implicit associations were measured using the iD-IAT and cD-IAT. Self-report measures included constructs relevant to suicidal behaviour. Results: Recent attempters showed weaker self-life (t(114) = 2.18, p = .016) and internal control-life (t(114) = 2.26, p = .013) associations than lifetime attempters. Multiple attempters exhibited weaker internal control-life associations than single attempters (t(114) = 2.25, p = .007). The iD-IAT correlated with suicidal ideation (r<sub>s</sub>(114) = 0.20, p = .032), depression (r<sub>s</sub>(114) = 0.20, p = .033) and external control (r<sub>s</sub>(114) = 0.21, p = .021), the cD-IAT with suicidal ideation (r<sub>s</sub>(114) = 0.25, p = .006) and depression (r<sub>s</sub>(114) = 0.26, p = .006). The cD-IAT predicted multiple attempts (χ<sup>2</sup>(1116) = 3.88, p = .049), showed higher internal consistency (r<sub>sb</sub> =. 31, p = .001) and predictive validity in detecting multiple (AUC = 0.64; p = .013) and recent (AUC = 0.62; p = .028) attempters than the iD-IAT. Conclusions: The cD-IAT shows preliminary potential to differentiate suicidal behaviour based on recency and frequency, offering a tentative step toward understanding cognitive vulnerabilities of at-risk subgroups, warranting further refinement, validation and prospective analyses.</p>}},
author = {{Aschenbrenner, Lara Marie and Frei, Adriana and Forkmann, Thomas and Schreiber, Dajana and Glaesmer, Heide and Brüdern, Juliane and Stein, Maria and Sedlinská, Marie Anna and Adorjan, Kristina and Walther, Sebastian and Gysin-Maillart, Anja}},
issn = {{0010-440X}},
keywords = {{Cognitive assessment; Implicit associations; Suicidal behaviour; Suicidal cognition}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{W.B. Saunders}},
series = {{Comprehensive Psychiatry}},
title = {{Exploring suicidal behaviour through implicit identity and control biases : Findings from the Death-Implicit Association Test and its novel control-adaptation}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152621}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152621}},
volume = {{142}},
year = {{2025}},
}