The Self after Suicide: A Look at Connection to and Valence of the Future Self in Suicidal Ideation

• Future self perceptions appear to be an important construct in the onset of SI. • Valence of thoughts of the future self at age 20 predicts SI at age 24. • SI at age 20 does not predict future self-perceptions at age 24. • Future self perceptions may be a relevant mechanism of intervention for SI. The choice to die by suicide is ultimately a choice to forgo a future and to forgo a self. How the self is conceptualized in the future can therefore be relevant to understanding what causes people to contemplate ending their life. We assess the relationships between two domains of future self-continuity – valence and connectedness – and suicidal ideation at ages 20 and 24 among a representative cohort sample of Swiss urban youth (n=1178), controlling for negative affect and sex using hurdle regression models. We then assess the longitudinal nature of these relationships using a cross-lagged panel model. Results show that future self valence at age 20 uniquely and negatively associates with concurrent and future (age 24) suicidal ideation. Future self connectedness at age 20 is inconsistently and negatively associated with concurrent and future suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation at age 20 does not predict future self perceptions at age 24. Future self-continuity, in particular, future self valence, plays an important role in suicidal ideation. As a broadly applicable and malleable construct, future self-continuity may be an effective focus of future suicidal ideation interventions.