Suicidal ideation is associated with safety behavior usage among trauma-exposed individuals

Background: Long-standing theoretical perspectives on suicidal ideation (SI) have posited that SI arises, in part, as a way to obtain relief from intense emotional pain. Yet, little research has examined whether SI is linked with other relief -driven behaviors. The present study sought to provide preliminary support for the link between SI and relief -driven safety behavior usage, a commonly used strategy for managing distress among trauma -exposed individuals. Methods: Trauma -exposed participants (n = 95) recruited for a larger study assessing mechanisms of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology and completed a battery of self -report measures, including SI and their use of safety behaviors. Zero -inflated negative binomial regressions were utilized to examine the association of safety behavior usage with the presence/absence of SI (i.e., zero -inflation) and SI severity. Results: In bivariate models, safety behaviors were associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing any SI and reporting more severe SI. When covariates were added to the model, safety behavior usage remained significantly and positively associated with SI severity. Limitations: The present study employed cross-sectional analyses of self -report data. Future research should use neurobehavioral tasks and intensive longitudinal data to test whether an underlying sensitivity to, or propensity to engage in, relief -driven behaviors contributes to SI. Discussion: Among trauma -exposed individuals, those who more frequently engage in negatively reinforced safety behaviors also report more severe SI. These findings dovetail with theoretical foundations of suicide linking SI with relief -driven motivations and provide further support that a propensity to engage in relief -driven behaviors is associated with SI.