Metacognitive beliefs and suicidal ideation: an experience sampling study
Open accessAbstract
The current study aimed to examine the relationship between metacognitive beliefs about suicidal ideation and the content and process of suicidal ideation. This was to examine the potential contribution of the Self-Regulatory Executive Function (S-REF) model (Wells and Matthew, 2015) to suicidal ideation. Twenty-seven participants completed both trait and state-level measures of suicidal ideation, negative affect, defeat, hopelessness, entrapment and metacognitive beliefs. Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) was adopted to measure state-level measurements with participants invited to complete an online diary up to seven times a day for six days. Multi-level modelling enabled a detailed examination of the relationships between metacognitive beliefs and suicidal ideation. Positive (β = 0.241, p < 0.001) and negative (β = 0.167, p < 0.001) metacognitive beliefs about suicidal ideation were positively associated with concurrent suicidal ideation even when known cognitive correlates of suicide were controlled for. The results have important clinical implications for the assessment, formulation and treatment of suicidal ideation. Novel meta-cognitive treatments targeting beliefs about suicidal ideation are now indicated. A limited range of characteristics reported by participants affects the generalizability of findings. Future research is recommended to advance understanding of metacognition and suicide but results demonstrate an important contribution of the S-REF model.
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Risk factors (negative affect, hopelessness, loneliness, burdensomeness, connectedness, thwarted belongingness) occurred with similar variability and were concurrently associated with suicidal ideation.
“Risk factors (negative affect, hopelessness, loneliness, burdensomeness, connectedness, thwarted belongingness) occurred with similar variability, and were concurrently associated with suicidal ideation (47, 55, 56, 68, 78).”
From Don't Miss the Moment: A Systematic Review of Ecological Momentary Assessment in Suicide Research (2022) · cites this paper as [68]
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References 42 · Cited by 18
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- [13]Wells A. Emotional Disorders and Metacognition: Innovative Cognitive Therapy Wiley Chichester, UK 2000
- [26]Csikszentmihalyi M. Larson R. The experience sampling method Flow and the Foundations of Positive Psychology Csikszentmihalyi M. Springer New York, NY, USA 1983
- [30]Williams J.M.G. The Cry of Pain Penguin London, UK 1997
- [31]Williams J.M.G. Suicide and Attempted Suicide. Understanding the Cry of Pain Penguin London, UK 2002
- [49]Rabe-Hesketh S. Skrondal A. Multilevel and Longitudinal Modelling Using STATA 2nd ed. STATA Press College Station, TX, USA 2008
- Authors
- Aadahl, V., Wells, A., Hallard, R., & Pratt, D.
- Affiliations
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Centre for New Treatments and Understanding in Mental Health (CeNTrUM), Division of Psychology & Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Corresponding author
- Aadahl, Vikki
- Venue
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2021-11-24
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 12336
- ISSN
- 1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8656543
- OpenAlex
- W3215277645
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1
- FWCI
- 1.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Keywords
- suicidal ideation, metacognitive beliefs, Self-Regulatory Executive Function model, metacognition, hopelessness, entrapment, defeat, negative affect, suicide prevention
- MeSH terms
- Metacognition, Ecological Momentary Assessment, Affect, Humans, Executive Function, Suicidal Ideation
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