Suicidal Ideation among Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators Partly Explained by the Interaction between Borderline Traits and both Personal Distress and Impulsivity

Abstract Purpose Some studies have highlighted the presence and persistence of suicidal ideation (thoughts) among individuals convicted of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration immediately after receiving their sentence. This calls for an exploration of the variables that can explain the emergence of these types of thoughts. For example, it seems that borderline and antisocial personality traits among these men are strongly associated with these types of thoughts. However, it would also be necessary to explore the moderating role of empathic alterations, cognitive flexibility, and/or impulsivity to characterize which profile of men convicted of IPV perpetration tends to experience suicidal ideation after receiving their IPV conviction. Methods The main objective of this study was to assess whether borderline or antisocial personality traits were associated with suicidal ideation before starting the mandatory intervention program for men convicted of IPV perpetration ( n = 602). In addition, the study analyzes whether these associations are moderated by empathic ability (cognitive and emotional), cognitive flexibility (measured with Wisconsin card sorting test), and self-reported impulsivity. Results Our results allowed us to conclude that men who have perpetrated IPV and presented moderate or high levels of borderline personality traits exhibited higher levels of suicidal ideation, especially among those with moderate or high scores in personal distress (or the tendency to experience suffering or discomfort in emotional distressing situations) and impulsivity. Conclusions These results highlight the psychological characteristics of men convicted of IPV perpetration with an increased risk of suicidal ideation when confronted with distressing emotional situations. This knowledge could help design specific therapeutic modules to avoid the fatal consequences of the persistence of these thoughts.