Childhood Trauma and Suicidal Thoughts: Unraveling the Link in Iranian MDD Patients

Major Depressive Disorder, or MDD, is a serious mental health issue that impacts people worldwide. One of its most concerning symptoms is suicidal ideation. Many researchers have looked into how traumatic childhood events can lead to suicidal thoughts in adults. But not many studies have explored what happens in between. This study aims to understand if emotional reactions and learning processes play a role in connecting childhood trauma to suicidal thoughts in Iranian patients with MDD. Growing up with bad experiences can shape how we react emotionally and learn from our surroundings. It's like learning to expect the worst, which isn't helpful when dealing with a mental health issue like MDD. This study wants to see if this learning process and emotional reactivity make it more likely for people with MDD to have suicidal thoughts. The research focuses on emotional reactivity—how strongly we feel emotions—and probabilistic and reinforcement learning (PRL). PRL is like figuring out what happens next based on past experiences. If childhood trauma affects these processes, it could explain why some people with MDD are more prone to suicidal thoughts.