On World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, 2025, a team of researchers from the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane (MHB) will present a new method for the early detection of suicidal thoughts in patients with severe depression. The study, published in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, shows how the concept of body confidence can be used as a diagnostic marker to identify at-risk individuals at an early stage.

People with major depression, especially those with bipolar disorder, have a significantly increased risk of suicide and a lower life expectancy compared to the general population. Despite intensive psychiatric care, unexpected suicide attempts or deaths occur again and again, as there are hardly any reliable markers that indicate an acute risk of suicide. The MHB researchers have now developed an approach based on interoception – the perception of internal body signals such as heartbeat, breathing or hunger. They found that patients with major depression have a higher risk of suicide the less they experience their bodies as safe and trustworthy.

The method uses a simple threshold value that is captured by three short questions at the beginning of an inpatient stay. This allows doctors to identify patients with impaired interoception at an early stage, who are particularly at risk, especially after discharge from the clinic. This transition phase is considered critical because those affected are often still unstable and receive only limited support in everyday life. The new method makes it possible to initiate targeted preventive measures during inpatient treatment in order to reduce the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions.

The study emphasizes that, apart from long-term therapy with lithium, there is currently no medication that reliably reduces the risk of suicide. The consideration of body sensation in therapy could therefore represent an important step forward. The results underline the need to integrate international findings on impaired interoception in depressed and suicidal people more strongly into psychiatric practice.

Every year, World Suicide Prevention Day draws attention to the urgency of suicide prevention. Worldwide, over 700,000 people die by suicide every year, often in connection with depression. Advances in research, such as the MHB’s new method, are crucial to reduce this number and improve the care of those affected.

Original Paper:

Reduced Trust in Bodily Sensations Predicts Suicidal Ideation in Hospitalized Patients With Major Depression: An Observational Study – Eggart – 2025 – Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior – Wiley Online Library

Matching:

Suicide Prevention Act (SuizidPrävG-E) | BMG

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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