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Stress sensitivity will increase the frequency, depth, and variability of suicidal ideas among the many college neighborhood. These are the findings of a longitudinal examine coordinated by the Hospital del Mar Analysis Institute and Pompeu Fabra College, which analyzed survey knowledge from greater than 700 college college students.
The examine defines, for the primary time, three levels of passive suicidal ideation in accordance with their frequency, depth and growing variability. Taking stress sensitivity into consideration may have an effect on suicide prevention.
Suicide is the primary reason for loss of life amongst younger folks aged between 15 and 29 in Spain and the third globally. It’s a advanced medical phenomenon—as a result of its etiology and stigma—that’s not but identified intimately. Thus, it’s onerous to foretell and forestall. Though since 2017 there was hypothesis that stress modulates the variability and persistence of suicidal ideas, thus far this relationship has not been outlined.
A examine revealed in Journal of Affective Problems, which analyzed knowledge taken from surveys carried out on college college students, determines that stress sensitivity—a situation through which extra delicate folks expertise larger discomfort and antagonistic emotions akin to worry, nervousness, guilt or hostility within the face of a anxious scenario—renders suicidal ideas extra frequent, intense and protracted.
To hold out the examine, they analyzed the information collected from surveys carried out each night for 14 consecutive days on greater than 700 college college students to evaluate their diploma of passive suicidal ideation and each day destructive results. That’s, their tendency to expertise disagreeable feelings. As well as, the scholars—who joined the examine by way of the PROMES-U mission, which seeks to enhance the psychological well being of this inhabitants—included a follow-up session 12 months later.
Suicidal ideas at the very least each two days
The examine defines, for the primary time, three levels of suicidal ideation in accordance with their frequency, depth and growing variability. The scholars with a better diploma of passive suicidal ideation (teams 2 and three) have ideas or wishes to die with no particular plan at the very least as soon as each two days.
Stress sensitivity is a rising issue among the many teams and is increased amongst college students with larger suicidal ideation (teams 2 and three). In essentially the most pronounced circumstances—excessive frequency and depth of suicidal ideas—”we see that people who are more stress-sensitive have more constant ideation on consecutive days,” states Ana Portillo-Van Diest, a researcher within the Well being Companies Analysis Group who’s doing her thesis at Pompeu Fabra College.

Philippe Mortier, Ana Portillo Van-Diest & Jordi Alonso, authors of the article. Credit score: Pompeu Fabra College
“To date, all people with suicidal ideation were grouped together, so it was difficult to find causal relationships with other factors that disrupt our health,” explains Jordi Alonso, coordinator of the Well being Companies Analysis Group on the Hospital del Mar Analysis Institute and a full professor of Public Well being at Pompeu Fabra College.
“Being able to distinguish students who have sporadic and less intense suicidal ideation from those who think about it at least once every two days more intensely has allowed us to see that stress sensitivity intensifies the frequency and variability of suicidal thoughts,” provides Ana Portillo-Van Diest, who’s the primary creator of the article.
Philippe Mortier, a researcher with the Well being Companies Analysis Group, says that, as it’s a examine on a non-clinical inhabitants, “we have not managed to distinguish as an independent group the profile of people who present a high intensity and low variability of suicidal ideation, on consecutive days.” This profile, in accordance with different research, is especially harmful as a result of extra suicide makes an attempt are noticed.
Persistent suicidal ideas and behaviors for at the very least one 12 months
Because of follow-up visits held a 12 months after conducting the surveys, the examine determines that the severity of suicidal ideation in on a regular basis life predicts this habits—in addition to suicide makes an attempt—sooner or later. For college students with a extra intense and frequent sample of passive suicidal ideation, suicidal ideas and behaviors persist extra over time, for at the very least a 12 months. Such habits will increase the danger of making an attempt suicide.
“Our data shatters the traditional view that passive is less serious than active ideation,” Mortier feedback. The examine exhibits {that a} extra intense, frequent and protracted sample of ideation predicts energetic ideation, with planning and intent, till at the very least one 12 months later.
Amongst folks with intense, frequent, and protracted ideation, stress sensitivity makes suicidal ideas extra excessive and sustained. Therefore, the authors level out that taking stress sensitivity into consideration, making use of measures such because the apply of mindfulness, or others, could possibly be an efficient measure to forestall suicide among the many college neighborhood.
PROMES-U is a analysis mission that goals to enhance the psychological well being of college college students by learning the elements that may affect the onset of psychological well being issues, in addition to the implementation and analysis of on-line interventions to advertise psychological well being and forestall melancholy and nervousness.
The mission, coordinated by the Well being Companies Analysis Group of the Hospital del Mar Medical Analysis Institute, analyzed knowledge obtained from college students on the six collaborating universities: Pompeu Fabra College, College of the Balearic Islands, Jaume I College, College of Málaga, Miguel Hernández College of Elche, and College of Zaragoza.
Extra info:
Ana Portillo-Van Diest et al, Subtypes of suicidal ideation amongst college college students—An ecological momentary evaluation examine, Journal of Affective Problems (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119865
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Stress sensitivity makes suicidal ideas extra excessive and protracted among the many college inhabitants, examine finds (2025, October 10)
retrieved 10 October 2025
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