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. 2023 Oct:39:100844.
doi: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2023.100844. Epub 2023 Oct 4.

Associations Between Suicidality and Interoception in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Amanda N Belanger  1 , Kiara R Timpano  1 , Goi Khia Eng  2   3 , Laura B Bragdon  2   3 , Emily R Stern  2   3
Affiliations

Associations Between Suicidality and Interoception in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Amanda N Belanger et al. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord. 2023 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are at increased risk for suicide. One potential risk factor is interoceptive sensibility (IS), which is one's subjective experience of bodily sensations. The current study examined the relationship between IS and current suicidal ideation and lifetime history of suicide attempt, controlling for relevant covariates.

Methods: Participants (N = 145) were a clinical sample of individuals with OCD from the New York City area. A clinical rater administered a diagnostic interview and an OCD severity assessment, and participants completed questionnaires about demographics, IS, and suicidality.

Results: Current suicidal ideation was associated with reduced trusting of the body, and lifetime history of suicide attempt was related to greater general awareness of sensation. These associations remained significant after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions: These results suggest that specific facets of IS may be associated with specific domains of suicidality. Decreased body trusting may represent a feeling of disconnection from the body that facilitates desire for death. Increased noticing of bodily sensations may lead to greater mental pain, which could interact with deficits in emotion regulation to increase risk for suicide attempt. Further research on the relationships between IS and suicidality in OCD is warranted.

Keywords: Obsessive-compulsive disorder; interoceptive sensibility; suicidal ideation; suicide attempt.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest All other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Average MAIA subscale scores in individuals with current suicidal ideation compared to those without current suicidal ideation and individuals with lifetime history of at least one suicide attempt compared to those without lifetime history of suicide attempt Note. **p <.01, ***p < .001. Error bars represent standard deviation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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