Detecting Suicide Risk Among College Students: A Test of the Predictive Validity of the Modified Emotional Stroop Task

Detecting suicide risk among nonclinical populations is challenging due to low base rates and the help-negation tendency of at-risk individuals. The current longitudinal study investigated the predictive validity of the modified emotional Stroop task (EST) by conducting a follow-up study of 197 students who participated in a study by Chung and Jeglic (2016). The EST latencies for suicide-related cues and past suicidal behaviors were the only significant predictors of suicide risk. The findings of this study provide preliminary support for the use of the EST as part of a suicide risk screening battery that could add to the detection of suicide risk.