adverse childhood experiences ad suicide (structured Equational Modeling)

Objectives: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a severe and prevalent psychiatric disorder around the world. Suicidal ideation is one of the hallmark symptoms of this disorder. Multiple studies have investigated the role of adverse childhood experiences on the occurrence of suicidal ideation in adulthood. Nevertheless, research examining the underlying mechanisms that mediate this relationship is limited. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate whether the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation is atemporally mediated by emotional reactivity, and probabilistic and reinforcement learning (PRL) in Iranian patients with MDD. Method: Participants included 201 inpatients with MDD who were hospitalized in psychiatric wards of various hospitals in Shiraz, Iran. Participants were selected through the convenient sampling method. The data were collected using the Probabilistic Reward Task, Emotional Reactivity Scale, Beck Scale of Suicidal Ideation, and the Modified Adverse Childhood Experiences – International Questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation test and structural equation modeling in SPSS and AMOS 26. Results: Adverse childhood experiences had a direct and significant relationship with suicidal ideation (p < .001). Moreover, emotional reactivity and PRL significantly mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Our findings showed that multiple factors including adverse childhood experiences, emotional reactivity, and PRL may have a role in the occurrence of suicidal ideation in patients with MDD. Accordingly, addressing these factors in therapeutic plans should be taken into consideration.