Can Text Messages Identify Suicide Risk in Real Time? A Within-Subjects Pilot Examination of Temporally Sensitive Markers of Suicide Risk.

ABSTRACT: Objective tools to assess suicide risk are needed to determine when someone is at imminent risk. This pilot laboratory investigation utilized a within-subjects design to identify patterns in text messaging (SMS) unique to high-risk periods preceding suicide attempts. Individuals reporting a history of suicide attempt (N=33) retrospectively identified past attempts and periods of lower risk (e.g., suicide ideation). Language analysis software scored 189,478 text messages to capture three psychological constructs: self-focus, sentiment, and social engagement. Mixed-effects models tested whether these constructs differed in general (means) and over time (slopes) two weeks before a suicide attempt, relative to lower-risk periods. Regarding mean differences, no language features u

SUBMITTER: Glenn JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9186807 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature