Physiological and cognitive reactivity to social exclusion among emerging adults with versus without a suicide attempt history

Background

Understanding cognitive responses to stress among individuals at risk for suicide attempts may help identify intervention targets to decrease the risk of future attempts. We examined differences between individuals with and without a suicide attempt history in physiological and cognitive responses to social exclusion.

Methods

Emerging adults with (n = 37) and without (n = 39) a suicide attempt history were assigned to a social exclusion or control (inclusion) condition. Saliva samples were taken before and after the stressor to measure salivary cortisol. Participants then completed behavioral measures of impulsivity, problem solving, and semantic interference from suicide-related words.

Results

There were no differences in cortisol reactivity trajectories by suicide attempt history, irrespective of stress condition. There was a trend for individuals with a suicide attempt history to show less semantic interference from suicide-related stimuli, compared to those without a suicide attempt history, regardless of stress condition. Furthermore, there was a trend for individuals who experienced social exclusion to perform better on the Tower of London test (a measure of problem solving) if they had a suicide attempt history than if they had no prior suicide attempt history. There were no other group differences on cognitive measures.

Conclusions

Emerging adults with a suicide attempt history who are not in an acutely suicidal state appear to demonstrate similar physiological and cognitive responses to social exclusion as do emerging adults without a suicide attempt history, and in some cases, may show improved problem solving. Findings are contextualized within the broader literature.