The role of pre-sleep arousal in the connection between insomnia and suicide risk

Abstract

Insomnia is a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The present study examined the role of pre-sleep arousal in this association. Seventy-eight adults (M_age = 24.28, 56% had recent history of suicidal thoughts and behaviors) attended two lab visits over four consecutive days. We tested if generally experienced self-reported pre-sleep arousal explained the association between self-report insomnia symptoms experienced over the past two weeks and past week-suicidal ideation. Results indicated full mediation for pre-sleep cognitive arousal, but not somatic arousal. Pre-sleep cognitive arousal could be a key variable linking insomnia symptoms to suicide risk.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, JLG, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health [grant number 1F31MH108349 - 01A1].