Publications | Suicide Risk and Prevention Research Laboratory

Selected Publications

Full Bibliography

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/sean.mitchell.1/bibliography/public/

Translational Suicide Prevention & Clinical Utility

My research examines how suicide risk can be more accurately identified, interpreted, and translated into clinically actionable prevention efforts across healthcare and community settings.

Mitchell, S. M., Cero, I., Littlefield, A. K., & Brown, S. L. (2021).
Using categorical data analysis in suicide research: Considering clinical utility and practicality.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 51(1), 76–87.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12670

LeDuc, M. K., Marvin, C., Mitchell, S. M., Brown, S. L., Moscardini, E. H., & Tucker, R. P. (in press).
Evaluating the clinical utility of the Interpersonal Hopelessness Scale among adults with past-year suicide ideation.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.70108

Mitchell, S. M., Brown, S. L., Roush, J. F., Tucker, R. P., Cukrowicz, K. C., & Joiner, T. E. (2020).
The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire: Statistical considerations for improved clinical application.
Assessment, 27(3), 621–637.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191118824660

Mitchell, S. M., Brown, S. L., Roush, J. F., Bolaños, A. D., Littlefield, A. K., Marshall, A. J., Jahn, D. R., Morgan, R. D., & Cukrowicz, K. C. (2017).
The clinical application of suicide risk assessment: A theory-driven approach.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 24, 1406–1420.
https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2086

Sparks, S., Marvin, C., Sweeney, R., Rojas, D., & Mitchell, S. M. (2026).
Beyond risk prediction: Considering upstream universal suicide prevention to decrease risk and increase resilience.
Behavioral Sciences, 16(2), 243.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16020243

Suicide Risk Assessment & Psychometrics

My work integrates psychometrics, personality assessment, and suicide risk measurement to improve the validity and clinical utility of suicide-related assessment tools.

Mitchell, S. M., Brown, S. L., Moscardini, E. H., LeDuc, M., & Tucker, R. P. (2024).
A psychometric evaluation of the Interpersonal Hopelessness Scale among individuals with elevated suicide risk.
Assessment, 31(2), 304–320.
https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911231161766

Morris, C., Keen, M., White, C., Ingram, P., Mitchell, S. M., & Victor, S. E. (2024).
Determining the MMPI-3 SUI scale’s cross-sectional and prospective utility in suicide risk assessment.
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 80, 1243–1258.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23664

LeDuc, M. K., Mitchell, S. M., Marvin, C., Sparks, S., Ingram, P. B., & Singer, J. (2025).
Using MMPI-3-derived thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness scales to predict suicide ideation among college students with elevated depressive symptoms.
Journal of Personality Assessment, 107(5), 621–632.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2025.2464863

Morris, N. M., Ingram, P. B., Mitchell, S. M., & Victor, S. E. (2023).
Screening utility of the PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 for depression in college students: Relationships with substantive scales of the MMPI-3.
Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 56(3), 254–264.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2022.2110899

Victor, S. E., Bianco, A. N., McClay, M. M., Mitchell, S. M., & Ingram, P. (2025).
Examining public stigma of nonsuicidal self-injury: Development and validation of the Stigma of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (STONSI) scale in two samples.
Stigma and Health.
https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000633

Brown, S. L., Roush, J. F., Marshall, A. J., Mitchell, S. M., & Cukrowicz, K. C. (2018).
A psychometric investigation of the Painful and Provocative Events Scale: Moving forward.
Archives of Suicide Research, 22, 628–643.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2017.1392914

Ecological Momentary Assessment and Disclosure

My lab uses ecological momentary assessment and intensive longitudinal methods to understand near-term suicide risk processes, disclosure, and dynamic psychological experiences in daily life.

Gerner, J. L., Moscardini, E. H., Mitchell, S. M., Hill, R., & Tucker, R. P. (2023).
Examination of real-time variation in interpersonal hopelessness and suicidal desire in a college student sample reporting past-two-week suicidal ideation.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 53, 893–905.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12991

Marvin, C., LeDuc, M., DeVinney, A., Gerner, J., Tucker, R., & Mitchell, S. M. (2026).
Suicide safety plan engagement: Temporal dynamics and momentary predictors.
Journal of Affective Disorders, 408, 121899.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121899

Christensen, K., Victor, S. E., Littlefield, A. K., & Mitchell, S. M. (2024).
A comparison of retrospectively reported and EMA-reported perceived social support in predicting EMA-reported non-suicidal self-injury.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 54, 184–194.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.13031

Tucker, R. P., Gerner, J., Mitchell, S. M., Oakey-Frost, N., Moscardini, E. H., Pardue-Bourgeois, S., Capron, D. W., & Hill, R. M. (2026).
Expanding the measurement of suicidal desire: The creation and evaluation of the Suicidal Desire Variability Scale in three adult samples.
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 48(24).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-026-10286-4

Interpersonal Processes & Suicide Theory

My research draws heavily from interpersonal and contemporary suicide theories to understand how social disconnection, hopelessness, and interpersonal stress contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Mitchell, S. M., Marvin, C., Mitaj, D., & Rogers, M. L. (2024).
Identifying latent classes of suicidal ambivalence: Associations with suicide risk correlates and outcomes.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 54, 844–859.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.13111

Petrovic, J., Mills, D., & Mitchell, S. M. (2023).
Integrating the interpersonal theory of suicide and the dualistic model of passion among adults at risk for suicide.
Motivation and Emotion, 43, 193–207.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-022-09990-x

Brown, S. L., Marshall, A. J., Mitchell, S. M., Roush, J. F., Mumma, G. H., Jahn, D. R., Ribeiro, J. D., Joiner, T. E., & Cukrowicz, K. C. (2021).
Suicide ideation and thwarted interpersonal needs among psychiatric inpatients: A network approach.
Clinical Psychological Science, 9(6), 1080–1094.
https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026211000670

Poindexter, E. K., Mitchell, S. M., Brown, S. L., & Cukrowicz, K. C. (2022).
Interpersonal trauma and suicide ideation: The indirect effects of depressive symptoms, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burden.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(1–2), NP551–NP570.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520917513

Cheavens, J. S., Cukrowicz, K. C., Hansen, R., & Mitchell, S. M. (2016).
Incorporating resilience factors into the interpersonal theory of suicide: The role of hope and self-forgiveness in an older adult sample.
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72, 58–69.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22230

Clinical & Health Systems Research

My work emphasizes implementation and applied suicide prevention across healthcare, correctional, pediatric, and community systems.

Pinciotti, C. M., Buckland, E., Mayes, T. L., Cooley, J. L., Mitchell, S. M., Zullo, L., Hughes, J. L., Patel, P. G., Neal, C., Defilippis, M., Babatope, T. T., Cruz, C., Trivedi, M. H., Storch, E. A., Goodman, W. K., Williams, L. L., & Asarnow, J. R. (2025).
Feasibility and acceptability of a brief intervention for youth suicidal thoughts and behaviors among pediatric primary care providers in Texas.
Evidence-Based Practice in Child & Adolescent Mental Health.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2025.2522068

Mitchell, S. M., Taylor, N. J., Jahn, D. R., Roush, J. F., Brown, S. L., Quinnett, P., & Ries, R. (2020).
Suicide-related training, self-efficacy, and mental health care providers’ reactions toward suicidal individuals.
Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 41(5), 359–366.
https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000647

Mitchell, S. M., La Rosa, N. L., Cary, J., & Sparks, S. (2021).
Considering the impact of COVID-19 on suicide risk among individuals in prison and during reentry.
Journal of Criminal Psychology, 11(3), 240–253.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-10-2020-0044

Mitchell, S. M., Brown, S. L., Görgülü, T., Conner, K. R., & Swogger, M. T. (2021).
Substance use, criminal justice involvement, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors: The moderating role of thwarted belonging.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 51(2), 237–246.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12699

Mitchell, S. M., Brown, S. L., Bolaños, A. D., Rose, B., Delgado, D., Morgan, R. D., Velasquez, S., & Cukrowicz, K. C. (2018).
Psychiatric symptoms, criminal risk, and suicidal ideation and attempts among not guilty by reason of insanity state hospital inpatients.
Psychological Services, 15, 340–348.
https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000209

Conceptual, Methodological, & Review Papers

My research also focuses on advancing conceptual and methodological approaches in suicide science, including causal inference, statistical interpretation, and clinically meaningful analytic strategies.

Cero, I., Mitchell, S. M., & Morris, N. M. (2021).
Causal inference in suicide research: When you should (and should not!) control for extraneous variables.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 51(1), 148–161.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12681

Book Chapters

Mitchell, S. M., Fineran, V., Cary, J. E., Sparks, S., & La Rosa, N. L. (2023). Managing suicide risk and non-suicidal self-injury in jails. In V. B. Rioja, A. Garcia-Mansilla, B. Subedi, & A. Batastini (Eds.), The oxford handbook of mental health assessment and treatment in jails. Oxford University Press.

Delgado, D., Mitchell, S. M., Scanlon, F., & Morgan, R. D. (2021). Examining violence among not guilty by reason of insanity state hospital inpatients across multiple timepoints: The roles of criminogenic risk factors and psychiatric symptoms. In K. Warburton & S. M. Stahl (Eds.), Decriminalizing mental illness (pp. 231-240). Cambridge University Press. (Reprinted from “Examining violence among not guilty by reason of insanity state hospital inpatients across multiple timepoints: The roles of criminogenic risk factors and psychiatric symptoms,” 2020, CNS Spectrums, 25[5], 714-722, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1092852919001809)

Cukrowicz, K. C., & Mitchell, S. M. (2019). Suicide and self-harm in corrections, prevalence and estimates. In R. D. Morgan (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Criminal Psychology (pp. 1527-1530). Sage Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781483392240.n494

Mandracchia, J. T., & Mitchell, S. M. (2019). Suicide during incarceration. In R. D. Morgan (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Criminal Psychology (pp. 1519-1522). Sage Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781483392240.n492

Mitchell, S. M., & Mandracchia, J. T. (2019). Suicide and self-harm in corrections, risk factors for. In R. D. Morgan (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Criminal Psychology (pp. 1505-1508). Sage Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781483392240.n488