Investigating cognitive control and cognitive emotion regulation in Iranian depressed women with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts

Abdollahpour Ranjbar H 1 , Parhoon H 2 , Mohammadkhani S 3 , Munawar K 4 , Moradi A 5 , Jobson L 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
  • 2 Department of Psychology, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
  • 3 Department of Clinical Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
  • 4 Department of Psychology, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 Kharazmi University and Institute for Cognitive Sciences Studies, Tehran, Iran
  • 6 Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University Australia, Selangor, Malaysia
Suicide Life Threat Behav, 2021 06;51(3):586-595.
PMID: 33565166 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12735

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study compared cognitive control (working memory, interference control, perseveration) and cognitive emotion regulation among Iranian women with depression who had attempted suicide, had only suicidal ideation, and healthy controls.

METHOD: Participants (N = 75) completed a clinical interview, cognitive control tasks, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire.

RESULTS: Those with suicidal ideation or previous attempts had poorer cognitive control and cognitive emotion regulation than controls. Furthermore, those who had attempted suicide had poorer cognitive control and reported greater use of self-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing, and less use of acceptance, than those with suicidal ideation only. There was an indirect effect of cognitive control deficits on suicidality through cognitive emotion regulation (self-blame, acceptance, rumination, catastrophizing).

CONCLUSIONS: Exploring these cognitive deficits and difficulties can assist in further understanding the risk factors for suicidality and improve targeted interventions. This is of particular relevance in Iran where the need for policies and interventions targeting the prevention of suicide has been identified.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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