Objective: the role of fearlessness about death in the transition from suicidal ideation to suicidal behaviour was introduced through the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide and has remained an important part of our current understanding of the development of suicidal behaviour as a complex interaction between risk factors, as proposed by the Integrated Motivation Volition model. Fearlessness about death was proposed to the distinguish people with a suicide attempt from people with suicidal ideation, yet recent, single risk factor studies provide contrary evidence. The aim of this study is to explore the role of FAD within the broader structure of risk factors for suicidality using a dataset of people with and without a history of suicidality.

Methods: Data from 735 young adults from three different UK universities will be collected and separated between three groups: people with suicidal ideation, people with a suicide attempt, and controls. First, one-way ANOVA’s will be performed testing for 12 variables taken from the intention-motivation-volition model of suicidality. A network estimate will be made and compared on overall structure, global strength, strength centrality and relative importance of all risk factors, with a focus on fearlessness about death.

Results: Based on variance analysis of averages, there is a significant difference between people with suicidal ideation and people with a suicide attempt in fearlessness about death. Network estimates showed fearlessness about death played no significant different role in people with a suicide attempt, compared to people with suicidal ideation. 

Conclusions: This study argues fearlessness about death might play a role even before the volitional phase, containing a possible trait-like presentation, that becomes pathological through suicidal behaviours in interaction with volitional phase factors such as impulsivity. 

Keywords: fearlessness about death, IMV model, IPT, network analysis, suicidality