Oxytocin concentrations hypothesized to decrease with induced self-dehumanization, mediating suicide risk

Understanding the complex factors contributing to suicide risk is critical for developing effective interventions. Self-dehumanization, perceiving oneself as less than human or machine-like, is emerging as a potential novel psychological risk factor. Simultaneously, oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide known for its roles in social bonding and stress regulation, has been implicated in various psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders and anxiety. The precise interplay between self-dehumanization, neurobiological markers like oxytocin, and the acute onset of suicidal ideation remains underexplored, representing a significant gap in current suicide prevention research.

This experimental protocol outlines a three-day study: one screening day and two study days. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a self-dehumanized mechanistic future condition or a control group. The experimental condition will induce self-dehumanization using a novel futuristic paradigm that likens the individual to a machine. On the screening day, participants receive a saline nasal spray, introduced as oxytocin, to establish treatment expectations via a validated protocol. The primary endpoints include changes in suicidal ideation (thoroughly assessed and intervened upon) and oxytocin concentrations (measured via unspecified assay) between the groups, with the magnitude of the oxytocin response explored as a partial mediator.

This study describes a research protocol and its hypotheses, rather than presenting completed findings. The central hypothesis posits that participants in the self-dehumanized mechanistic future condition will exhibit temporary increases in suicidal ideation and corresponding decreases in oxytocin concentrations when compared to the control group. The control condition is not expected to show significant changes in these measures. Furthermore, the research aims to explore if the magnitude of the oxytocin response will partially mediate the observed change in suicidal ideation. This design seeks to establish a causal link between induced self-dehumanization, neurobiological changes, and acute suicide risk. The study emphasizes that any temporary increases in suicidal ideation will be thoroughly assessed and immediately intervened upon following the induction.