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Reading Between the Lines
(Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2024-05-11) O'Dea, Bridianne; Braund, Taylor A.; Batterham, Philip J.; Larsen, Mark E.; Glozier, Nick; Whitton, Alexis E.
Stratifying depressed individuals may help to improve recovery rates by identifying the subgroups who would benefit from targeted treatments. Detecting depressed individuals with prominent anhedonia (i.e. lack of pleasure) may be one effective approach, given these individuals experience poorer treatment outcomes. This paper explores the linguistic features associated with anhedonia among depressed adults. Over 9 weeks, 218 individuals with depressive symptoms completed a fortnightly psychometric measure of depression (PHQ-9) and provided text data (SMS, social media posts, expressive essays, emotion diaries, personal letters). Linguistic features were examined using LIWC-22. Greater use of discrepancy words was significantly associated with higher anhedonia, but in SMS data only. Machine learning showed some utility for predicting increased anhedonia, with discrepancy words the most important linguistic feature in the model. Discrepancy words were not found to be associated with overall depression scores. These results suggest that this linguistic feature may show some promise for the stratification of anhedonic depression.
Efficacy of BrighterSide, a Self-Guided App for Suicidal Ideation
(2024-01-24) Josifovski, Natasha; Torok, Michelle; Batterham, Philip; Wong, Quincy; Beames, Joanne R.; Theobald, Adam; Holland, Sarah; Huckvale, Kit; Riley, Jo; Cockayne, Nicole; Christensen, Helen; Larsen, Mark
Background: Self-guided digital interventions can reduce the severity of suicidal ideation, although there remain relatively few rigorously evaluated smartphone apps targeting suicidality. Objective: This trial evaluated whether the BrighterSide smartphone app intervention was superior to a waitlist control group at reducing the severity of suicidal ideation. Methods: A total of 550 adults aged 18 to 65 years with recent suicidal ideation were recruited from the Australian community. In this randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive either the BrighterSide app or to a waitlist control group that received treatment as usual. The app was self-guided, and participants could use the app at their own pace for the duration of the study period. Self-report measures were collected at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome was severity and frequency of suicidal ideation, and secondary outcomes included psychological distress and functioning and recovery. Additional data were collected on app engagement and participant feedback. Results: Suicidal ideation reduced over time for all participants, but there was no significant interaction between group and time. Similar improvements were observed for self-harm, functioning and recovery, days out of role, and coping. Psychological distress was significantly lower in the intervention group at the 6-week follow-up, but this was not maintained at 12 weeks. Conclusions: The BrighterSide app did not lead to a significant improvement in suicidal ideation relative to a waitlist control group. Possible reasons for this null finding are discussed.
A call for transdiagnostic attention to insomnia and its treatment in mental healthcare
(2024) Reesen, Joyce E.; Hoogendoorn, Adriaan W.; Leerssen, Jeanne; Lancee, Jaap; Blanken, Tessa F.; Batelaan, Neeltje M.; van Oppen, Patricia; Batterham, Philip J.; van Someren, Eus J.W.
Recognising the anxiogenic environment as a driver of youth anxiety
(2023) Grant, Janie Busby; Batterham, Philip J.; Calear, Alison L.; Grant, Will J.; Christensen, Helen
Transition to a first suicide attempt among young and middle-aged males with a history of suicidal thoughts
(2023) Armstrong, G.; Haregu, T.; Cho, E.; Jorm, A. F.; Batterham, P.; Spittal, M. J.
Introduction: Although many studies have examined the risk and protective factors associated with suicidal behavior, little is known about the probability of transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal attempts and the factors that distinguish those who have suicidal thoughts from those who progress to a suicide attempt. Objectives: To determine the probability and predictors of transition to a suicide attempt among young and middle-aged males with a history of suicidal thoughts but no prior history of attempting suicide. Methods: We used data from the first two waves of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health, approximately two years apart. We followed the cohort of males aged 18–55 years who, at wave 1, reported a lifetime history of suicidal ideation but no history of a prior suicide attempt. We report transition probabilities to a first suicide attempt at Wave 2 and used logistic regression models to examine baseline predictors of transition to a first suicide attempt over the two-year period among males aged 18 years and older. Results: From the 1,564 males with suicidal thoughts at wave 1,140 participants (8.9%; 95% CI:7.6,10.5) reported to have had their first suicide attempt in the two-year period. In multivariate analyses, males aged 30–39 (OR=0.31; 95% CI: 0.16,0.60), 40–49 (OR=0.47; 95% CI:0.24,0.91) and 50–55 (OR=0.31; 95% CI: 0.13,0.73) all had lower odds of a first suicide attempt compared to males aged 18–29 years. The odds of a first suicide attempt were significantly higher for males who were: living in inner regional areas (ref: major cities) (OR=2.32; 95% CI: 1.33,4.04); homosexual or bisexual (OR=2.51; 95% CI: 1.17,5.36); working night shift as their main job (OR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.05,2.91); and, living with a disability (OR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.07,3.65). Clinical indicators such as symptoms of depression and illicit substance use were not significant predictors of transition to a first suicide attempt in multivariate models, nor were indicators of social connection. Conclusion: We estimated that 8.9% of Australian males aged 15–55 years with a history of suicidal thoughts and no prior history of suicide attempts will progress to a first suicide attempt within two-years. Neither psychological distress, illicit substance use nor social connection indicators were correlated with transition to a first suicide attempt. Rather, it was socio-demographic indicators that were associated with transition to a first suicide attempt.