Effects of Neuropsychological Systems on Psychopathology Through Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Individuals with Suicide Attempts

This study aimed to evaluate direct and indirect effects of neuropsychological systems including behavioral activation system (BAS) and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) on psychopathology (e.g., depression and current suicidal ideation) through adaptive/non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERSs). In a cross-sectional design, three hundred suicide attempters completed the Carver and White BIS/BAS scales, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short version (CERQ-Short), the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). The results of mediation analyses from cross-sectional data revealed that BAS and BIS had direct effects on current suicidal ideation, but not on depression. Also, low BAS and high BIS were indirectly associated with depression through low use of adaptive, and high use of non-adaptive, CERSs, respectively. BIS had an indirect effect on current suicidal ideation via non-adaptive CERSs. The findings suggest that high BIS along with high use of non-adaptive CERSs as well as low BAS along with low use of adaptive CERSs may be associated with depression. Also, high BIS along with high non-adaptive CERSs may be related to suicidal ideation. Therefore, paying attention to CERSs may be important in understanding the psychopathology of depression and suicidal ideation in suicide attempters with high BIS and low BAS.