suicidal ideation

American  

[soo-uh-sahyd-uhl ahy-dee-ay-shuhn] / ˌsu əˈsaɪd əl ˌaɪ diˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

suicidal ideations plural

1. Psychiatry. persistent thoughts about killing oneself, wishing to die, or wanting to stop existing, often resulting from a mental health condition or stressful life events.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• suicidal ideations
  plural

Example Sentences

Black women have also historically reported suicidal ideation during the postpartum period at a rate roughly double that of white women.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

She’s done extensive research showing that food insecurity is strongly associated with major maternal depressive symptoms; she points to research focused on the association between food insecurity and suicidal ideation and attempts in teenagers.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

A 2009 study in the American Journal of Public Health found that among immigrants who came from Mexico to the U.S. as teenagers, just 2.3% reported suicidal ideation, compared with 8.9% of their American-born peers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

With clinical depression, you have five or more symptoms, like low appetite, change in appetite, poor sleep, low energy, feeling restless, guilt, hopelessness, suicidal ideation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2025

Among patients taking other antiobesity drugs, the rate of reported suicidal ideation was 0.43%.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 5, 2024