Forecasting a Fatal Decision: Direct Replication of the Predictive Validity of the Suicide-Implicit Association Test

Research has suggested that implicit identification with death/suicide can accuratelypredict a suicide attempt several months in advance (Nock et al., 2010). We report thefirst direct and independent replication of this promising finding. Participants included165 patients seeking treatment at a psychiatric unit in France. At baseline, patientscompleted the Suicide-Implicit Association Test (S-IAT), a semistructured interview,and a self-report measure of suicide ideation. Six months later, we contacted the patientsby phone and examined their hospital medical records, to determine whether they hadmade a new suicide attempt. Results showed that the S-IAT did not discriminatepatients who presented for suicide attempts (vs. other reasons). As in the original study,however, the S-IAT predicted suicide attempts within the 6-month follow-up periodbeyond well-known predictors. The test correctly classified 85% of patients, 95% CI[76.91, 91.53], supporting its diagnostic value for identifying who will make a futuresuicide attempt.