Dependency and suicidality in psychiatric inpatients

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Interpersonal dependency is a key psychological construct.
• Understanding its relationship with suicidality is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between interpersonal dependency and suicidality in psychiatric inpatients.
• To compare objective (self-report) and projective measures of dependency.

Main Methods:

• 152 psychiatric inpatients (91 women, 61 men) completed objective and projective dependency measures.
• Dependency scores were compared with chart-derived suicidality indices (past attempts, physician judgment).
• Statistical controls for depression levels were applied.

Main Results:

• High objective dependency scores correlated significantly with higher suicidality in both genders.
• This association remained significant after controlling for depression.
• Projective dependency scores showed no significant relationship with suicidality.

Conclusions:

• Objective measures of interpersonal dependency are valid indicators of suicidality risk in psychiatric inpatients.
• Self-reported dependency, not projective measures, is clinically relevant for assessing suicide risk.
• Findings highlight the importance of assessing interpersonal needs in suicide prevention strategies.