The Relationship of E1G Variability and Daily Reports of Severity of Problems Between Female Adolescents with High and Low Suicide Risk Profiles (2024)

Undergraduates: Isabella Grumet, Lindsey Cunnane, Elizabeth Andersen, Susan Girdler

Faculty Advisor: Susan Girdler
Department: Psychology and Neuroscience

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Female adolescents are at a twofold risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared to their male peers (Miranda-Mendizabal et al., 2019). The role of reproductive hormones on female adolescent mental health could be linked to the gender difference in suicidality. Female adolescents answered the Daily Reports of Severity of Problems (DRSP) while urine samples were collected daily to analyze E1G (an estrogen metabolite) levels throughout a full menstrual cycle. General linear modeling was used to analyze the relationship between the standard deviation of E1G levels and DRSP scores for a low and high-risk for suicide group. The data was further analyzed by introducing the participants' MFQ score and SIQ score as moderators. In the high-risk for suicide group a significant relationship was found between E1G variability and the DSRP measures of anger (F(1,31)=12.35, p=.001), interpersonal conflict (F(1,31)=7.04, p=.01), mood swings (F(1,31)=10.21, p=.003), depression (F(1,31)=4.17 p=.05), overwhelmed (F(1,31)=5.92, p=.02), and rejection sensitivity (F(1,31)=8.48, p=.007) before adding moderators. Of the previously mentioned measures, five were strengthened by the addition of moderators. In the low-risk for suicide group a relationship only existed between E1G variability and mood swings F(1,20)=10.05, p=.004), feeling overwhelmed (F(1,20)=5.04, p=.04) and feeling hopeless (F(1,20)=1.52, p=.22). Adding moderators decreased significance for all measures in the low-risk for suicide group. Participants in the high risk for suicide group displayed a stronger relationship between E1G variability and DRSP measures.