Suicide attempt history is associated with blunted neural reward responsiveness after accounting for a history of suicidal ideation and preparatory behaviors.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among young adults. While many individuals contemplate suicide, most individuals with suicidal ideation will not attempt suicide, and there is a need to identify factors that can differentiate those who are capable of suicide attempts. Altered neural reward responsiveness has been identified in high-risk and suicidal individuals; however, findings show both blunted and heightened reward responsiveness. Additional research is necessary to clarify whether suicide attempt capacity relates specifically to altered neural reward responsiveness, independent of other suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). The present study examined associations between lifetime STBs and neural reward responsiveness among university students. Participants (N = 153) completed a monetary reward guessing task while electroencephalogram was collected to examine the reward positivity, a neural response to reward receipt. Results showed that a lifetime suicide attempt history, endorsed by 16 participants, was uniquely associated with blunted neural reward responsiveness, B =  - 3.07, 95% CI [- 5.94, - 0.20], β =  - .13, f