Risk Factors Associated With Suicidal Ideation in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.
Cria-May Khong, John Chan, Elizabeth Pasipanodya and 2 others
PMID 37744203WHAT IT FOUND
Among 246 people with chronic spinal cord injury, 27 reported thoughts of self-harm in the last 2 weeks, and 6 of those had a plan.
Higher depressive symptoms, lower resilience, and lower physical independence were linked to these thoughts.
Key findings
0127 participants endorsed suicidal ideation, and 6 of those participants endorsed active suicidal ideation with a plan for self-harm.
02Depressive symptoms, resilience, and physical independence were significant predictors of suicidal ideation in the multivariable model.
03Demographic, medical, and substance use characteristics did not differ between participants who endorsed and did not endorse suicidal ideation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether low physical independence or low resilience caused suicidal ideation. Only a small number of participants endorsed suicidal ideation, so the estimates for that group may be unstable. The sample came from one trauma center and was mostly White, so the findings may not apply to more diverse populations. Suicidal ideation was assessed at one time point, so changes in risk over time were not captured. Participants with missing values on model variables were excluded, and some study variables had missing data. The analysis did not separate passive from active suicidal ideation as a predictor comparison, although active ideation was reported after clinician follow-up.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving physical independence or resilience will reduce suicidal ideation. The study measured these factors at one time point, so it shows association, not cause.