A prospective examination of sleep chronotype and future suicide intent among adults in the United Kingdom: A test of the integrated motivational volitional model of suicide

Objectives/background

Prior research identified a connection between evening chronotype and suicidality, but the mechanism underlying that connection is not well understood. The Integrated Motivational Volitional (IMV) Model of Suicide may provide a theoretical explanation for this link. The current project includes a three-time point longitudinal survey to examine whether 1) suicide intent likelihood varies across time, 2) chronotype affects suicide intent likelihood prospectively, and 3) defeat and entrapment explain the association between chronotype and suicide intent likelihood.

Patients/methods

Participants (n = 187 UK adults) completed a baseline survey (demographics, chronotype (morning-eveningness; MEQ), defeat and entrapment, and perceived intent to make a future suicide attempt), and follow-up surveys (MEQ and suicide intent likelihood) 3 and 6 months later.

Results

Results indicated that suicidal intent at 6-month follow-up was lower than baseline or 3-month follow-up. It was also found that strong evening chronotype at baseline is associated with increased suicidal intent 6 months later, and that defeat mediates this relationship.

Conclusion

Our theoretically informed findings shed light on the psychological mechanisms linking chronotype (i.e., eveningness) and future suicide intent by highlighting the role of defeat and entrapment. We propose that feelings of defeat might be derived from evening types’ experiences of social jetlag (resulting from conflict between biologically driven sleep schedules and externally dictated social schedules), which consequently drives entrapment and greater future suicide intent. Within this context, defeat and entrapment may be good transdiagnostic and modifiable target variables for future intervention development.