Linking insomnia and suicide ideation in college females: The role of socio-cognitive variables and depressive symptoms in suicide risk

- The means by which insomnia influences risk of suicide ideation are unknown.
- Consequences of poor sleep like cognitive functioning may explain the link.
- Socio-cognitive factors (fatigue, problem solving) partially mediated risk.
- Depressive symptoms moderated relationships in our model, increasing suicide risk.
- Results have implications for sleep-related intervention and prevention efforts.

BackgroundAlthough insomnia symptoms are associated with risk of suicide ideation, the means by which insomnia influences ideation, as well as the role depression plays in these relationships, require further study. In this study, we examined whether certain socio-cognitive variables (fatigue, social problem-solving, and hopelessness) in conjunction with depression explained this relationship among female college students.Methods483 female students completed measures assessing insomnia and depressive symptoms, fatigue, social problem-solving ability, hopelessness, and suicide ideation.ResultsPath analyses indicated that socio-cognitive variables partially explained the insomnia-ideation relationship above the influence of depressive symptoms. Higher depressive symptoms exacerbated relationships between social problem-solving and hopelessness, heightening ideation risk.ConclusionsOur findings expand knowledge of intermediate socio-cognitive variables that may contribute to the insomnia-ideation relationship, and indicate that clinically-severe depressive symptoms compound the contribution of negative self and future appraisals to thoughts of suicide. Suicidal females with insomnia and depressive symptoms may benefit from interventions targeting problem-solving skills and improving sleep.