title: Attentional bias toward suicide-relevant information in suicide attempters: A cross-sectional study and a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies using a modified Stroop test suggested that suicide attempters, in contrast to depressed patients with no suicidal history, display a particular attentional bias toward suicide-related cues. However, negative results have also been reported. In the present study, we collected new data and pooled them as part of a meta-analysis intended to shed further light on this question.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted 1) a cross-sectional study comparing performance on the modified Stroop task for suicide-related, positively-valenced and negatively-valenced words in 33 suicide attempters and 46 patient controls with a history of mood disorders; 2) a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies comparing performance on the modified Stroop task among patients with vs. without a history of suicidal acts in mood disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cross-sectional study showed no significant difference in interference scores for any type of words between suicide attempters and patient controls. A meta-analysis of four studies, including 233 suicide attempters and 768 patient controls, showed a significant but small attentional bias toward suicide-related words (Hedges'g=0.22, 95%CI [0.06-0.38], Z=2.73, p=0.006), but not negatively-valenced words (Hedges'g=0.06, 95%CI [-0.09-0.22], Z=0.77, p=0.4) in suicide attempters compared to patient controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positively-valenced words and healthy controls could not be assessed in the meta-analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support a selective information-processing bias among suicide attempters. Indirect evidence suggests that this effect would be state-related and may be a cognitive component of the suicidal crisis. However, we could not conclude about the clinical utility of this Stroop version at this stage.
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Department of Psychiatry & Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire EA 4638, Université de Nantes et Angers, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richard-Devantoy
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Department of Psychiatry & Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Department of Psychiatry & Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turecki
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Department of Psychiatry & Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Academic Hospital (CHU), Nîmes, France. Electronic address: fabrice.jollant@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jollant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000070379:Attentional Bias; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057190:Stroop Test; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; Interference; Selective attention; Stroop test; Suicidal behavior