Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 2001. Vol. 32. No. 5. 507-512 Copyright 2001 by the American Psychological Association. Inc. V/35-7028/01/S5.00 DOI: 10.1037//0735-702H.32.5.507 Can Positive Emotion Influence Problem-Solving Attitudes Among Suicidal Adults? Thomas E. Joiner Jr., Jeremy W. Pettit, Marisol Perez, and Andrea B. Burns Florida State University Tulin Gencoz and Faruk Gencoz Middle East Technical University M. David Rudd Baylor University A client's mood can hinder or enhance treatment and its effectiveness. Positive emotions can encourage exploration and experimentation, and they may have the long-term effect of resource building. The purpose of the present study was to assess this perspective as applied to the treatment of suicidal individuals. The authors found that patients prone to positive moods, as compared with those less prone to such moods, displayed more positive problem-solving attitudes following treatment for suicidal symptoms, and, partly as a function thereof, displayed enhanced treatment response. These findings suggest that clinicians may improve their chances of achieving successful treatment outcomes if they present skill-building treatments during windows of positive mood for the client, rather than in times of crisis. Suicidality represents an interesting yet challenging area for clinical practitioners. For at least two reasons, the interconnections between suicidality, problem-solving, and mood appear to be clinically important. First, suicidality has been linked to problem- solving deficits (Schotte & Clum, 1982), and skill-based treat- ments appear to be effective in reducing suicidal behavior (Rudd, Joiner, & Rajab, 2000; Rudd et al., 1996). Second, although there is no question that people in suicidal crises experience predomi- nantly negative moods, suicidal crises are time limited, and much of therapy is conducted once the crisis subsides, when patients' range of moods is broader. In the course of therapy with suicidal patients, then, positive moods may well occur, and according to the logic of the broaden-and-build model (Fredrickson, 1998), may represent windows of opportunity for problem-solving skill acquisition. In her broaden-and-build model of positive emotions, Fredrick- son (1998) proposed that emotions such as joy, interest, and contentment have the momentary effect of "broadening" cognition and behavior, so that exploration, experimentation, and play are more likely. Furthermore, because positive emotions subserve exploration and experimentation, they have the long-term effect of resource building. Through exploration and experimentation, new ideas and actions are discovered, building up an individual's repertoire of physical, intellectual, and social resources. The broaden-and-build model has accrued reasonable research support (Carnevale & Isen, 1986; Fredrickson, 1998; Isen, 1987; Isen, Daubman, & Nowicki, 1987; Kahn & Isen, 1993). Because of this research support, and because of the model's emphasis on the interconnections of mood and problem-solving skills, it deserves attention from clinicians interested in the interrelations of mood, THOMAS E. JOINER JR. received his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993. He is the Bright-Burton Professor of Psychology at Florida State University. His research interests include neurobiological, interper- sonal, and social-cognitive factors in suicidality and in mood, eating, and anxiety disorders. JEREMY W. PETTIT received his MS in psychology from Florida State University in 2000. He is currently a doctoral candidate in clinical psy- chology at the same institution. His major research interests are the etiology, phenomenology, and prevention of depression, suicide, and re- lated phenomena, with an emphasis on interpersonal and cognitive factors. MARISOL PEREZ received her MS in psychology from Florida State Uni- versity in 2001. She is currently a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the same institution. Her research interests are eating disorders, suicide, and minority mental health. ANDREA B. BURNS received her BA in psychology from Willliams College in 1998. She is currently a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Florida State University. Her research interests are in the interpersonal aspects of depression, gender, self-presentation, suicide, and eating disorders. TULIN GENCOZ received her PhD in 1996 from Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. She is an assistant professor at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and her current research interests include mood and anxiety disorders and emotional intelligence. FARUK GENCOZ received his PhD in 1997 from Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. He is an assistant professor at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and his current research interests include emotions in psychopathology, facial expression, stress, and smoking. M. DAVID RUDD received his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987. He is professor of psychology and director of clinical training at Baylor University. His research interests include suicidology and a range of topics related to cognitive-behavior therapy. PORTIONS OF THIS WORK were supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH48097) and by the Turkish Academy of Sciences. CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS ARTICLE should be addressed to Thomas E. Joiner Jr., Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-1270. Electronic mail may be sent to joiner@psy.fsu.edu. 507