Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Research Trends

Internet-Based Screening for Suicidal Ideation in Common Mental Disorders

Published Online:January 01, 2012https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000142

Abstract

Background: Common mental disorders have been found to be related to suicidal ideation and behavior. Research in the field of web-based interventions for common mental disorders, however, usually excludes participants with a suicidal risk, although a large proportion of participants might suffer from suicidal ideation. Aims: To investigate the prevalence of suicidal ideation in common mental disorders in an online sample. Method: In total, 502 participants completed nine web-based questionnaires on common mental disorders, of which 120 were also interviewed by telephone to obtain a diagnosis. Logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate associations between disorders and suicidal ideation. Results: Based on web-based self-report, 53% of participants had some form of suicidal ideation. Fewer participants reported suicidal ideation during the interview by telephone. Depression (multivariate odds ratio 7.1), generalized anxiety disorder (2.1), social phobia (2.1), and posttraumatic stress disorder (1.7) were significantly associated with suicidal ideation, while a higher number of comorbid common mental disorders increased the risk. Conclusion: Researchers and clinicians should be aware that one out of every two helpseekers on the internet with common mental disorders may have suicidal ideation. Comorbidity of two or more disorders greatly increase the risk of suicidal ideation.

References

  • Andersson, G. , Bergström, J. , Holländare, F. , Carlbring, P. , Kaldo, V. , Ekselius, L. (2005). internet-based self-help for depression: Randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 187, 456–461. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Andersson, G. , Carlbring, P. , Holmström, A. , Sparthan, E. , Furmark, T. , Nilsson-Ihrfelt, E. , ... Ekselius, L. (2006). Internet-based self-help with therapist feedback and in-vivo group exposure for social phobia: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 677–686. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Beekman, A. T. , Deeg, D. J. , Van Limbeek, J. , Braam, A. W. , De Vries, M. Z. , Van Tilburg, W. (1997). Criterion validity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D): Results from a community-based sample of older subjects in the Netherlands. Psychological Medicine, 27, 231–235. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Bijl, R. V. , Ravelli, A. , Zessen, G. (1998). Prevalence of psychiatric disorder in the general population: Results of The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 33, 587–595. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Carlbring, P. , Bohman, S. , Brunt, S. , Buhrman, M. , Westling, B. E. , Ekselius, L. , Andersson, G. (2006). Remote treatment of panic disorder: A randomized trial of internet-based cognitive behavior therapy supplemented with telephone calls. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 2119–2125. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Conigrave, K. M. , Saunders, J. B. , Reznik, R. B. (1995). Predictive capacity of the AUDIT questionnaire for alcohol-related harm. Addiction, 90, 1479–1486. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Cougle, J. R. , Keough, M. E. , Riccardi, C. J. , Sachs-Ericsson, N. (2009). Anxiety disorders and suicidality in the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 43, 825–829. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Cox, B. J. , Parker, J. D. , Swinson, R. P. (1996). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Fear Questionnaire with social phobia patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 168, 497–499. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Cox, B. J. , Swinson, R. P. , Shaw, B. F. (1991). Value of the Fear Questionnaire in differentiating agoraphobia and social phobia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 842–845. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Cuijpers, P. , Boluijt, P. , van Straten, A. (2008). Screening of depression in adolescents through the internet: Sensitivity and specificity of two screening questionnaires. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 17, 32–38. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Cuijpers, P. , Marks, I. , van Straten, A. , Cavanagh, K. , Gega, L. , Andersson, G. (2009). Computer-aided psychotherapy for anxiety disorders: A meta-analytic review. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 38(2), 66–82. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • de Haan, L. , Hoogeboom, B. , Beuk, N. , Wouters, L. , Dingemans, P. M. A. J. , Linszen, D. H. (2006). Reliability and validity of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in schizophrenia patients. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 39(1), 25–30. First citation in articleMedline, Google Scholar

  • Donker, T. , van Straten, A. , Marks, I. , Cuijpers, P. (2009). A brief web-based screening questionnaire for common mental disorders: Development and validation. Journal of Medical internet Research, 11, e19. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Donker, T. , van Straten, A. , Marks, I. , Cuijpers, P. (2010). Brief self-rated screening for depression on the internet. Journal of Affective Disorders, 122, 253–259. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Gega, L. , Kenwright, M. , Mataix-Cols, D. , Cameron, R. , Marks, I. M. (2005). Screening people with anxiety/depression for suitability for guided self-help. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, 34(1), 16–21. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Goodman, W. K. , Price, L. H. , Rasmussen, S. A. , Mazure, C. , Delgado, P. , Heninger, G. R. , ... Charney, D. S. (1989). The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. II. Validity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 1012–1016. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Goodman, W. K. , Price, L. H. , Rasmussen, S. A. , Mazure, C. , Fleischmann, R. L. , Hill, C. L. , ... Charney, D. S. (1989). The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. I. Development, use, and reliability. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 1006–1011. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Hirai, M. , Clum, G. A. (2005). internet-based self-change program for traumatic event related fear, distress and maladaptive coping. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18, 631–636. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Horowitz, M. , Wilner, N. , Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of Event Scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209–218. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Houck, P. R. , Spiegel, D. A. , Shear, M. K. , Rucci, P. (2002). Reliability of the self-report version of the panic disorder severity scale. Depression and Anxiety, 15, 183–185. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Hoyer, J. , Becker, E. S. , Neumer, S. , Soeder, U. , Margraf, J. (2002). Screening for anxiety in an epidemiological sample: Predictive accuracy of questionnaires. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 16, 113–134. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Kerkhof, A. (2010). Terminologie en definities [Terminology and definitions]. In A. J. F. M. Kerkhof, B. J. van, Luyn (Eds.), Suïcidepreventie in de praktijk (pp. 3–23). Houten: Bohn Stafleu van Loghum. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Knaevelsrud, C. , Maercker, A. (2007). Internet-based treatment for PTSD reduces distress and facilitates the development of a strong therapeutic alliance: A randomized controlled clinical trial. BMC Psychiatry, 7, 13. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Marks, I. M. , Kenwright, M. , McDonough, M. , Whittaker, M. , Mataix-Cols, D. (2004). Saving clinicians’ time by delegating routine aspects of therapy to a computer: A randomized controlled trial in phobia/panic disorder. Psychological Medicine, 34(1), 9–17. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Marks, I. M. , Mathews, A. M. (1979). Brief standard self-rating for phobic patients. Behavior Research and Therapy, 17, 263–267. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Nock, M. K. , Hwang, I. , Sampson, N. A. , Kessler, R. C. (2009). Mental disorders, comorbidity and suicidal behavior: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Molecular Psychiatry,15(8), 868–876. doi 10.1038/mp. 2009.29 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Norton, P. J. , Temple, S. R. , Pettit, J. W. (2008). Suicidal ideation and anxiety disorders: Elevated risk or artifact of comorbid depression? Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 39, 515–525. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Riper, H. (2008). Curbing problem drinking in the digital galaxy. Amsterdam: Faculty of Psychology and Education, Vrije Universiteit. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Sareen, J. , Cox, B. J. , Afifi, T. O. , de Graaf, R. , Asmundson, G. J. G. , ten Have, M. , Stein, M. B. (2005). Anxiety disorders and risk for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts: A population-based longitudinal study of adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 1249–1257. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Saunders, J. B. , Aasland, O. G. , Babor, T. F. , de la Fuente, J. R. , Grant, M. (1993). Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (audit): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption–II. Addiction, 88, 791–804. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Schaufeli, W. B. , van Dierendonck, D. (2000). Utrechts burnout schaal: Handleiding [Utrecht’s Burnout Scale: Manual]. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Schneider, B. (2009). Substance use disorders and risk for completed suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 13, 303–316. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Shear, M. K. , Rucci, P. , Williams, J. , Frank, E. , Grochocinski, V. , Vander Bilt, J. , ... Wang, T. (2001). Reliability and validity of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale: Replication and extension. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35, 293–296. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Spek, V. , Cuijpers, P. , Nyklicek, I. , Riper, H. , Keyzer, J. , Pop, V. (2007). Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for symptoms of depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 37, 319–328. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Spitzer, R. L. , Kroenke, K. , Williams, J. B. W. , Lowe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166, 1092–1097. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • van Oppen, P. , van Balkom, A. J. L. M. , de Haan, E. , van Dyck, R. (2005). Cognitive therapy and exposure in vivo alone and in combination with fluvoxamine in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A 5-year follow-up. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66, 1415–1422. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • van Zuuren, F. J. (1988). The fear questionnaire. Some data on validity, reliability and layout. British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 659–662. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Whitehead, L. C. (2007). Methodological issues in internet-mediated research in the field of health: An integrated review of the literature. Social Science and Medicine, 65, 782–791. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • World Health Organization . (1997). Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI): Version 2.1. Geneva: Author. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar