The Role of Emotion Dysregulation in Understanding Suicide Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Suicide prevention represents a global imperative, and efforts to identify potential risk factors are intensifying. Among these, emotional regulation abilities represent a transdiagnostic component that may have an impactful influence on suicidal ideation and behavior. Therefore, the present systematic review aimed to investigate the association between emotion dysregulation and suicidal ideation and/or behavior in adult participants. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and the research was performed through four major electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Web of Science) for relevant titles/abstracts published from January 2013 to September 2023. The review included original studies published in peer-reviewed journals and in English that assessed the relationship between emotional regulation, as measured by the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS), and suicidal ideation and/or behavior. In total, 44 studies were considered eligible, and the results mostly revealed significant positive associations between emotion dysregulation and suicidal ideation, while the findings on suicide attempts were more inconsistent. Furthermore, the findings also confirmed the role of emotion dysregulation as a mediator between suicide and other variables. Given these results, it is important to continue investigating these constructs and conduct accurate assessments to implement effective person-centered interventions.

Keywords

• difficulties in emotional regulation
• suicidal ideation
• suicide attempt
• suicide risk
• systematic review