TY - JOUR
T1 - Experience sampling of suicidality, religiosity and spirituality in depression
T2 - Network analyses using dynamic time warping
AU - van den Brink, Bart
AU - Jongkind, Matthias
AU - Delespaul, Philippe
AU - Braam, Arjan W.
AU - Schaap-Jonker, Hanneke
AU - Giltay, Erik J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Thanks to John Foran and Lettine van den Brink for proofreading previous versions of this article. The study has been funded by Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ (BvdB, grant number 242). Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ Research had no other involvement in any stage of this study. The authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committees on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen (2018/370). The pseudonymized beep list data are made available at request. The research protocol and ESM-questionnaires are available as a supplement.
Funding Information:
The study has been funded by Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ Research (BvdB, grant number 242 ). Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ Research had no other involvement in any stage of this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024/9/1
Y1 - 2024/9/1
N2 - Background: Suicidality is a clinically important and multifaceted phenomenon, frequently present in depressed subjects. Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) can have an attenuating as well as a reinforcing effect on suicidality. Methods: From two Dutch mental health care settings, a sample of 31 depressed and in- and outpatients with suicidal ideation, self-identifying as being religious or spiritual, was selected by convenience sampling. Using an experience sampling method (ESM) mobile application, during six days (mean of 42 assessments per subject), the association between symptoms of depression, suicidality, and specific positive-supportive affective R/S and positive psychology variables. For 28 participants symptom network plots on a group level, and on an individual level, were analyzed using dynamic time warping (DTW). Results: Participants were on average 35.7 years old, and 65 % were women. In the group-level undirected network, R/S variables were linked to positive psychology variables via a bridge function of inner peace. Changes in the experience of inner peace and enjoying a physical activity preceded changes of several other symptoms. A network dynamic appeared with a dense cluster of ‘positive psychology’ items. Limitations: Only a limited number of R/S variables were included. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that religiosity and spirituality function as meaningful factors in depression and suicidality in religiously or spiritually engaged persons. Experienced inner peace has a positive association with reasons to live. Experience sampling method data can be effectively analyzed using dynamic time warping. Exploring individual religious or spiritual engagement can prove important in treating suicidality and depression.
AB - Background: Suicidality is a clinically important and multifaceted phenomenon, frequently present in depressed subjects. Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) can have an attenuating as well as a reinforcing effect on suicidality. Methods: From two Dutch mental health care settings, a sample of 31 depressed and in- and outpatients with suicidal ideation, self-identifying as being religious or spiritual, was selected by convenience sampling. Using an experience sampling method (ESM) mobile application, during six days (mean of 42 assessments per subject), the association between symptoms of depression, suicidality, and specific positive-supportive affective R/S and positive psychology variables. For 28 participants symptom network plots on a group level, and on an individual level, were analyzed using dynamic time warping (DTW). Results: Participants were on average 35.7 years old, and 65 % were women. In the group-level undirected network, R/S variables were linked to positive psychology variables via a bridge function of inner peace. Changes in the experience of inner peace and enjoying a physical activity preceded changes of several other symptoms. A network dynamic appeared with a dense cluster of ‘positive psychology’ items. Limitations: Only a limited number of R/S variables were included. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that religiosity and spirituality function as meaningful factors in depression and suicidality in religiously or spiritually engaged persons. Experienced inner peace has a positive association with reasons to live. Experience sampling method data can be effectively analyzed using dynamic time warping. Exploring individual religious or spiritual engagement can prove important in treating suicidality and depression.
KW - Depressive disorder
KW - Dynamic time warp method
KW - Ecological momentary assessment
KW - Religion
KW - Spirituality
KW - Suicidal ideation
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.139
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.139
M3 - Article
SN - 0165-0327
VL - 360
SP - 354
EP - 363
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
ER -