Impact of cognitive function on suicidal behavior in patients with depressive episodes

Abstract

Objective  To analyze the cognitive functional differences in patients with depressive episodes regarding suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior,  and further to explore the impact of cognitive functioning on suicidal behavior. Methods  A total of 133 patients with depressive episodes who sought treatment at Beijing Anding Hospital,Capital Medical University,were selected and divided into three groups based on the presence of suicidal behavior and ideation within the past two weeks: depression control (DC) group, suicidal ideation (SI) group, and suicide attempt (SA) group. The Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item (HAMD-17),the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI),and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) were used to assess the patients' clinical symptoms and cognitive functioning. Logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze various factors.  Results  The total HAMD-17 scores of the three groups (F=59.661,P<0.001) showed statistically significant differences,with post hoc comparisons revealing significantly higher scores in the SA and SI groups compared to the DC group. MCCB results indicated that the DC group had significantly higher scores in verbal learning and memory compared to the SI group (P<0.01),and both the DC and SA groups had significantly higher scores in reasoning and problem-solving compared to the SI group (P<0.05). Logistic regression results revealed that reasoning and problem-solving (P=0.022,OR=1.067,95% CI: 1.009-1.127) and cognitive impairment factors (P<0.001,OR=1.739, 95% CI: 1.128-2.2443) were independent risk factors for suicidal behavior in patients with depressive episodes，and recurrent (P=0.003,OR=0.100,95% CI: 0.022-0.458) and social cognition (P=0.033,OR=0.953,95% CI: 0.912-0.996) were protective factors for suicidal behavior in patients with depressive episodes. Conclusion  Cognitive impairment is a crucial factor influencing the occurrence of suicidal behavior in patients with depressive episodes. 

Keywords

depressive episodes / cognitive functioning / suicidal ideation / suicidal behavior