(PS2-C56) Interviewer-rated Anhedonia as a Predictive Factor for Suicidal Ideation

Background: Suicide is among the ten leading causes of death in the United States and is the second leading cause of death in children aged 10-14 and adults aged 25-34 (Ehlman et al., 2022). However, assessment and prevention of suicide risk remains challenging. Further research into risk factors for suicide is needed. Some research suggests that anhedonia, a transdiagnostic symptom associated with lack of positive affect may be a risk factor for suicide. One review found that providing assessments for anhedonia can be beneficial when evaluating suicide risk for people with affective disorders (Bonanni et al., 2019). Our study used secondary data analysis to ascertain if anhedonia predicted suicidal ideation in a study targeting therapeutic strategies in a sample of individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, and stress.

Method: Participants (N=85) were adults ages 18-65 with elevated symptoms of distress on DASS-21, SCID, SDS, or PANAS-P, consistent with mood or anxiety disorders. After baseline assessments, participants were randomized to receive one of two treatments for affective disorders. Assessments included self-report items regarding depression and anxiety (MASQ), suicidal ideation (BDI-9), anhedonia (DARS), and positive affect (PANAS-P). A 15-minute interview to assess anhedonia over the past week was conducted by a trained clinician. This study used a multiple linear regression model to analyze data from baseline and week 1 of the treatment.

Results: Self-reported anhedonia at baseline did not significantly predict suicidal ideation at week 1 (p=.65). Higher interviewer-rated anhedonia at baseline significantly predicted higher suicidal ideation one week later (p < .05). Anhedonia continued to predict subsequent suicidal ideation when controlling for gender (p < .05), and women were more likely than men to experience suicidal ideation (p < .01). Additional analyses comparing the predictive power of anhedonia in individuals with depression versus anxiety will also be presented.

Discussion: These results suggest that while self-reported measures of anhedonia do not significantly predict subsequent suicidal ideation, anhedonia ratings from short interviews may be a reliable, brief, assessment to identify individuals at risk for suicidal ideation. Adopting this short interview approach could optimize the evaluation process, leading to more efficient and accurate care. Future research should continue to assess anhedonia as a risk factor, and how assessments can be adjusted to properly screen for it.