Mechanisms through which executive dysfunction influences suicidal ideation in combat-exposed Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

OBJECTIVE: Executive dysfunction has previously been associated with suicidality, but it remains unclear how deficits in executive functioning contribute to increased suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Although it has been proposed that poorer executive functioning leads to difficulty generating and implementing appropriate coping strategies to regulate distress and inhibit suicidal thoughts and behaviors, studies have not systematically examined these relationships. Therefore, the present study examined various hypotheses to elucidate the mechanisms through which executive dysfunction influences suicidal ideation (SI) in combat-exposed Iraq/Afghanistan veterans.

METHOD: Veterans who endorsed SI were compared to those who denied SI on demographic and diagnostic variables and measures of neuropsychological functioning, psychological symptoms, coping styles, and combat experiences. Serial mediation models were tested to examine mechanistic relationships among executive functioning, psychological distress, coping, and SI.

RESULTS: Those who endorsed SI had worse executive functioning, greater psychological distress, and greater avoidant coping relative to those who denied SI. Serial mediation model testing indicated a significant indirect path, such that executive dysfunction increased psychological distress, which in turn increased avoidant coping, leading to SI.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings support and extend previous hypotheses regarding how executive functioning contributes to increased risk of suicidality via increased distress and avoidant coping. Intervention efforts focused on reducing suicidality may benefit from techniques that enhance executive functioning (e.g. computerized training, cognitive rehabilitation) and in turn reduce distress prior to targeting coping strategies.