1. Aggression–impulsivity, mental pain, and communication difficulties in medically serious and medically non-serious suicide attempters
- Author
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Alan Apter, Mark Weiser, Orit Stein-Reizer, Yari Gvion, Tsvi Fischel, Ilan Treves, Yossi Levi-Belz, Haim Shem David, and Netta Horresh
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,lcsh:RC435-571 ,Emotions ,Poison control ,Suicide, Attempted ,Impulsivity ,Suicide prevention ,lcsh:Psychiatry ,Humans ,Medicine ,Social Behavior ,Psychiatry ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,Aged ,Depressive Disorder ,Suicide attempt ,business.industry ,Aggression ,Communication ,Loneliness ,Middle Aged ,Mental health ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Clinical Psychology ,Mental Health ,Impulsive Behavior ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
Background: Unbearable mental pain, depression, and hopelessness have been associated with suicidal behavior in general, while difficulties with social communication and loneliness have been associated with highly lethal suicide attempts in particular. The literature also links aggression and impulsivity with suicidal behavior but raises questions about their influence on the lethality and outcome of the suicide attempt. Objectives: To evaluate the relative effects of aggression and impulsivity on the lethality of suicide attempts we hypothesized that impulsivity and aggression differentiate between suicide attempters and non-attempters and between medically serious and medically non-serious suicide attempters. Method: The study group included 196 participants divided into four groups: 43 medically serious suicide attempters; 49 medically non-serious suicide attempters, 47 psychiatric patients who had never attempted suicide; and 57 healthy control subjects. Data on sociodemographic parameters, clinical history, and details of the suicide attempts were collected. Participants completed a battery of instruments for assessment of aggression–impulsivity, mental pain, and communication difficulties. Results: The medically serious and medically non-serious suicide attempters scored significantly higher than both control groups on mental pain, depression, and hopelessness (p
- Published
- 2014