Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Depression and Suicidal Intrusions in Relation to Suicidal Ideation

Abstract

Introduction: The growing body of literature has established the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder and suicidal ideation. What is not well understood is the underlying mechanisms that cause this positive interaction. The present study aims to examine suicidal intrusions as a potential link between OCD and SI, and depression as an external moderating factor between OCD and suicidal intrusions. Methods: Models 4, 1, and 7 from the PROCESS Macro were used to examine mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation, respectively. The data were derived from the larger Simagery project, which included 161 participants from health centers across the Netherlands. Results: Unlike earlier research, OCD showed no significant impact on suicidal ideation (b = 0.12, p = .585). However, suicidal intrusions had a significant mediating role (b = 0.52, CI [0.25, 0.84]). Depression had no significant moderating effect between OCD and suicidal intrusions (b = 0.43, p = .346), but it predicted suicidal intrusions alone (b = 1.94, p < .001). In the moderated mediation model, depression did show increasing conditional indirect effects when its level rose, but these effects showed no statistical significance. Discussion: This study contributed to further understanding of suicidal ideation within OCD. Suicidal intrusions appeared to be a key factor in explaining this relationship; further research is needed for both the better establishment of the theoretical framework between OCD and suicidal ideation as well as the better examination of potential connections to suicidal ideation.