suicidal ideation

noun

: the act of thinking about or a state of preoccupation with ending one's own life : the act of considering or planning suicide

He had been hospitalized several times for depression and suicidal ideation: the previous summer he had checked himself into a hospital in Laramie.

—Melanie Thernstrom

Alleviating gender dysphoria and aligning gender expression with identity through these treatments can lower stress, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and significantly lessen suicidal ideation.

—Orion Rummler

Examples of suicidal ideation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Intersex youth also reported significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation than endosex respondents. —Samantha Riedel, Them, 24 Oct. 2024

Learning The Signs Of Suicidal Ideation While suicidal ideation, like many serious mental health issues, often hides beneath the surface, there are subtle signals that indicate a person may be contemplating suicide. —Jenna Glover, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024

This article contains descriptions of mental illness, alcohol addiction and suicidal ideation. —Max Blau, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2024

Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

suicidal ideation

noun

: the act of thinking about or a state of preoccupation with ending one's own life : the act of considering or planning suicide

Depression appears to be one of the strongest predictors of suicidal ideation but does not appear to distinguish those who have attempted suicide from those who have experienced suicidal ideation without attempts.

—E. David Klonsky et al., Annual Review of Clinical Psychology

Burnout among medical students seems to be an important predictor of subsequent suicidal ideation even without symptoms of depression.

—Liselotte N. Dyrbye et al., Annals of Internal Medicine