Inflexible interpretations of ambiguous social situations: A novel predictor of suicidal ideation and the beliefs that inspire

Suicidal ideation has been linked to a bias toward interpreting ambiguous information in consistently less positive/more negative manners (“positive/negative interpretation bias”), implying that information processing biases might distort beliefs thought to inspire suicidal ideation (e.g., those regarding burdensomeness). The present study therefore examined whether suicidal ideation and beliefs highlighted in theories of suicide are related to positive/negative interpretation bias and/or a bias against revising negative interpretations in response to evidence against them (“negative interpretation inflexibility”).