Suicidal ideation
Suicidal ideation, also known as suicidal thoughts, concerns thoughts about or an unusual preoccupation with suicide. The range of suicidal ideation varies greatly from fleeting thoughts, to extensive thoughts, to detailed planning, role playing (e.g., standing on a chair with a noose), and incomplete attempts, which may be deliberately constructed to not complete or to be discovered, or may be fully intended to result in death, but the individual survives (e.g., in the case of a hanging in which the cord breaks).
Most people who undergo suicidal ideation do not go on to make suicide attempts, but it is considered a risk factor. During 2008-09, an estimated 8.3 million adults aged 18 and over in the United States, or 3.7% of the adult U.S. population, reported having suicidal thoughts in the previous year. An estimated 2.2 million in the U.S. reported having made suicide plans in the past year.
Suicidal ideation is generally associated with depression and other mood disorders; however, it seems to have associations with many other psychiatric disorders, life events, and family events, all of which may increase the risk of suicidal ideation. For example, many individuals with borderline personality disorder exhibit recurrent suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation. One study found that 73% of patients with borderline personality disorder have attempted suicide, with the average patient having 3.4 attempts. Currently, there are a number of different treatment options for those experiencing suicidal ideation.