Fluidity in capability: Longitudinal assessments of suicide capability using ecological momentary assessments

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide capability is posited to facilitate the movement from ideation-to-action. Emerging evidence suggests capability comprises both trait- and state-like facets. This study examined fluctuations in and associations of acquired, dispositional, practical, and perceived capabilities, and suicidal mental imagery, and suicidal ideation. Method: Seventy-five adults (48 females, Mage = 36.53 years) with lived experience of suicidal ideation and/or attempt responded to four prompts per day for 2 weeks that assessed suicide capability and suicidal ideation. Mean-squared successive differences and probability of acute change indices and multilevel models were used for analyses. Results: All facets of suicide capability fluctuated. Acquired and dispositional capabilities were trait-like, with practical and perceived capabilities being state-like. Suicidal mental imagery was the only facet of suicide capability that distinguished participants with a suicide attempt in the past 12 months from participants with a suicide attempt more than 1 year ago and suicide ideators. Suicidal mental imagery was associated with concurrent suicidal ideation and predictive of next assessment suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Suicidal mental imagery may be uniquely associated with suicide capability. This study suggests there are trait- and state-like facets of capability that can combine to potentially ready an individual to engage in suicidal behaviors.