I can stomach that! Fearlessness about death predicts attenuated facial electromyography activity in response to death-related images

Résumé

Objective measures of suicide risk can convey life-saving information to clinicians, but few such measures exist. This study examined an objective measure of fearlessness about death (FAD), testing whether FAD relates to self-reported and physiological aversion to death. Females (n = 87) reported FAD and disgust sensitivity, and facial electromyography was used to measure physiological facial responses consistent with disgust while viewing death-related images. FAD predicted attenuated expression of physiological death aversion, even when controlling for self-reported death-related disgust sensitivity. Diminished physiological aversion to death-related stimuli holds promise as an objective measure of FAD and suicide risk. ÉTATS-UNIS FEMME JEUNE-ADULTE IDÉATION INTENTION DÉPISTAGE POTENTIEL-SUICIDAIRE PRÉDICTION MORT