New onset and remission of suicidal ideation among a depressed adult sample

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that suicidal ideation often predicts suicide completion. Methods: The present study examined clinical and phenomenological variables associated with the presence, development and remission of suicidal ideation among depressed adults, The sample (n = 81) was derived from subjects enrolled in the Duke Clinical Research Center for the Study of Depression in Late Life. Results: Greater pessimistic thinking at baseline predicted the development of suicidal ideation one year later and the older a person was when he or she first experienced depression, the more likely he or she was to report remission from suicidal ideation one year following onset. Limitations: Longitudinal analyses were based on relatively small samples. Variables that were not significant in these analyses might be in a larger sample. Conclusions: The longitudinal design of this study mitigates limitations associated with cross-sectional or retrospective designs and advances our understanding of a clinical profile associated with the development and remission of suicidal thoughts. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.