The psychological configuration of suicidal ideation in depressive disorder: an integrative and predictive approach
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy , ,
- 2Department of Medical Education, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy , ,
- 3Department of Community Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy , ,
- 4Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Pediatric Psychiatry, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy , ,
Abstract
Background: Suicidal ideation in depression is increasingly understood as a multidetermined phenomenon shaped by emotional distress, emotion regulation deficits, maladaptive coping, and contextual vulnerability. The present study examined the psychological correlates and predictors of suicidal ideation and tested the mediating roles of emotion regulation difficulties and quality of life in adults with depressive disorder.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 172 adults with depressive disorder. Participants completed standardized measures of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior (C-SSRS), depressive severity (MADRS), emotional distress (DASS-21R), emotion regulation difficulties (DERS-SF), coping strategies (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire [CERQ] and Strategic Approach to Coping Scale [SACS]), and quality of life (QOLI). Spearman correlations, hierarchical regression analyses, and mediation models with bootstrapping (5,000 samples) were performed.
Results: Suicidal ideation was positively associated with depressive severity, anxiety, stress, several dimensions of emotion regulation difficulties, and maladaptive coping strategies, and negatively associated with quality of life. Hierarchical regression analyses identified depressive severity and quality of life as the most robust contributors in the first model, while maladaptive behavioral and cognitive coping strategies contributed additional explanatory value in the second model. Mediation analyses indicated that emotion regulation difficulties significantly mediated the association between depressive severity and suicidal ideation, and that a significant serial indirect effect also operated through reduced quality of life. In both models, the direct effect of depressive severity remained significant, indicating partial mediation.
Conclusions: Suicidal ideation in depressive disorder is associated with a broader psychological configuration involving emotional distress, emotion regulation difficulties, maladaptive coping, and diminished quality of life. These findings support an integrative, multivariable approach to understanding suicidal ideation in depression and highlight clinically relevant psychological factors that may inform assessment and intervention.
Related
- Psychological Inflexibility and Suicidal Ideation in Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Multiple Mediation Analysis of Depressive Symptoms, Insomnia, and Generalized Anxiety.
- Suicidal ideation, depressive experiences, and resilience among adolescents living with HIV in rural Ghana: a qualitative exploration of psychological experiences and coping
- Association between tirzepatide use and risk of suicidal ideation among individuals with obesity and major depressive disorder
- Epigenetic and Immunometabolic Signatures of Suicidal Behavior in Major Depressive Disorder
- Multilevel brain heart interaction correlates with suicidal ideation in first episode drug naive major depressive disorder
BibTeX
@article{armean2026psychological,
title = {{The psychological configuration of suicidal ideation in depressive disorder: an integrative and predictive approach}},
author = {Sebastian Mihai Armean and Codruţa Alina Popescu and Bogdan Florin Covaliu and Bogdana Adriana Năsui and Roxana Şipoş and Romulus Dan Nicoară},
journal = {Frontiers in public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1958636},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13690632},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The psychological configuration of suicidal ideation in depressive disorder: an integrative and predictive approach
AU - Sebastian Mihai Armean
AU - Codruţa Alina Popescu
AU - Bogdan Florin Covaliu
AU - Bogdana Adriana Năsui
AU - Roxana Şipoş
AU - Romulus Dan Nicoară
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Frontiers in public health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1958636
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13690632
AB - Background: Suicidal ideation in depression is increasingly understood as a multidetermined phenomenon shaped by emotional distress, emotion regulation deficits, maladaptive coping, and contextual vulnerability. The present study examined the psychological correlates and predictors of suicidal ideation and tested the mediating roles of emotion regulation difficulties and quality of life in adults with depressive disorder. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 172 adults with depressive disorder. Participants completed standardized measures of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior (C-SSRS), depressive severity (MADRS), emotional distress (DASS-21R), emotion regulation difficulties (DERS-SF), coping strategies (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire [CERQ] and Strategic Approach to Coping Scale [SACS]), and quality of life (QOLI). Spearman correlations, hierarchical regression analyses, and mediation models with bootstrapping (5,000 samples) were performed. Results: Suicidal ideation was positively associated with depressive severity, anxiety, stress, several dimensions of emotion regulation difficulties, and maladaptive coping strategies, and negatively associated with quality of life. Hierarchical regression analyses identified depressive severity and quality of life as the most robust contributors in the first model, while maladaptive behavioral and cognitive coping strategies contributed additional explanatory value in the second model. Mediation analyses indicated that emotion regulation difficulties significantly mediated the association between depressive severity and suicidal ideation, and that a significant serial indirect effect also operated through reduced quality of life. In both models, the direct effect of depressive severity remained significant, indicating partial mediation. Conclusions: Suicidal ideation in depressive disorder is associated with a broader psychological configuration involving emotional distress, emotion regulation difficulties, maladaptive coping, and diminished quality of life. These findings support an integrative, multivariable approach to understanding suicidal ideation in depression and highlight clinically relevant psychological factors that may inform assessment and intervention.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -