title: Comfort from suicidal cognition in recurrently depressed patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous research has suggested that some individuals may obtain comfort from their suicidal cognitions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study explored clinical variables associated with comfort from suicidal cognition using a newly developed 5 item measure in 217 patients with a history of recurrent depression and suicidality, of whom 98 were followed up to at least one relapse to depression and reported data on suicidal ideation during the follow-up phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that a minority of patients, around 15%, reported experiencing comfort from suicidal cognitions and that comfort was associated with several markers of a more severe clinical profile including both worst ever prior suicidal ideation and worst suicidal ideation over a 12 month follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few patients self-harmed during the follow-up period preventing an examination of associations between comfort and repetition of self-harm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results, although preliminary, suggest that future theoretical and clinical research would benefit from further consideration of the concept of comfort from suicidal thinking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK. Electronic address: catherine.crane@psych.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barnhofer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
authors.forename: Danielle S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
authors.forename: Catrin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eames
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care, Royal Free Hospital, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG, UK.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hepburn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
authors.forename: Dhruvi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
authors.forename: J Mark G
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Cognition; Comfort; Depression; Suicidality