Abstract
Background
Evidence suggests that recent changes in anhedonia may be more predictive of suicidal ideation than either state or trait anhedonia alone. However, the individual role that anhedonia symptoms play in suicidality is not yet well established.
Methods
This study investigated whether state, trait, and recent changes in anhedonia predicted recent suicidal ideation, using cross-sectional data from two independent samples, one non-clinical (n = 2,138) and one clinical (n = 859), using binary logistic regression analyses.
Results
In Study 1, loss of interest in people and loss of pleasure were associated with recent suicidal ideation independent of other depression symptoms, state and trait anhedonia. In Study 2, loss of interest in people, loss of interest in sex, and work inhibition were associated with recent suicidal ideation. In both studies, recent changes in anhedonia was uniquely associated with recent suicidal ideation.
Conclusions
These results indicate that recent changes in anhedonia and particularly the social aspect of the Loss of Interest in People item could be a significant risk factor in suicidal ideation.
AUTHORS CONTRIBUTION
XHY designed this study, interpreted the data and wrote up the first draft. YX contributed to data collection. LGY interpreted the clinic data. Phillippa commented significantly on the manuscript.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Xinhua Yang
Xinhua Yang, Department of Psychology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Centre for Affective Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, UK.
Xian Yuan
Xian Yuan, Department of Psychology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Guangya Liu
Guangya Liu, Department of psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan province, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Phillippa Harrision
Phillippa Harrision, Centre for Affective Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, UK