Objective: Suicidal rehearsal is a crucial intermediate type between suicidal thoughts to suicidal attempts, yet it has received limited attention due to insufficient empirical research. This study aimed to investigate its clinical characteristics.
Methods: We initially screened 11,390 college students and invited 1253 who reported a history of suicidality. A total of 244 students (aged 16 to 24) voluntarily participated and validly. The survey examined suicidal behaviors history, current symptoms, suicidal risk, acquired capability for suicide and demographic characteristics.
Results: Our findings show that 15.57% of individuals with lifetime suicidal ideation and/or attempts engaged in suicidal rehearsals. Suicidal ideators who had suicidal rehearsals reported
higher the acquired capability for suicide and suicide risk scores and lower anxiety scores than those who had not. Predictors of suicidal rehearsal included anxiety, fearlessness about death, suicidal plan and suicidal preparation. Suicidal rehearsals were predictors of aborted, interrupted, and actual suicidal attempts.
Conclusions: Suicidal rehearsal is relatively common and high risk-warning suicidal type. Clinical practitioners should pay more attention to its screening and assessment.
Introduction: Suicidal rehearsal is a crucial intermediate type between suicidal thoughts to suicidal attempts, yet it has received limited attention due to insufficient empirical research. This study aimed to investigate its clinical characteristics.
Methods: We initially screened 11,390 college students and invited 1253 who reported a history of suicidality. A total of 244 students (aged 16 to 24) voluntarily participated and validly. The survey examined suicidal behaviors history, current symptoms, suicidal risk, acquired capability for suicide and demographic characteristics.
Results: Our findings show that 15.57% of individuals with lifetime suicidal ideation and/or attempts engaged in suicidal rehearsals. Suicidal ideators who had suicidal rehearsals reported
higher the acquired capability for suicide and suicide risk scores and lower anxiety scores than those who had not. Predictors of suicidal rehearsal included anxiety, fearlessness about death, suicidal plan and suicidal preparation. Suicidal rehearsals were predictors of aborted, interrupted, and actual suicidal attempts.
Conclusions: Suicidal rehearsal is relatively common and high risk-warning suicidal type. Clinical practitioners should pay more attention to its screening and assessment.
 

suicidal behaviors；,suicidal rehearsal,classification,screening,assessment