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Personality differences in early versus late suicide attempters
Ute Lewitzka1, Sebastian Denzin2, Cathrin Sauer3
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany. ute.lewitzka@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
BMC Psychiatry
|August 11, 2016
Summary
Personality traits, such as reward dependence and harm avoidance, can change after a suicide attempt. These changes persist even when accounting for depressive symptoms, suggesting a complex interplay.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Suicidality is a complex behavior influenced by internal and external factors.
- Personality traits, particularly Cloninger's TCI and impulsivity, predict suicide attempts.
- Unresolved questions include trait variability over time post-attempt and the influence of depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if personality traits change over time following a suicide attempt.
- To examine the impact of depressive symptoms on these potential trait alterations.
Main Methods:
- Compared two cohorts: 81 patients within 3 months of a suicide attempt (SA early) and 32 patients over 6 months post-attempt (SA late).
- Utilized structured interviews assessing diagnosis, suicidality, depression (HAMD-17), personality traits (TCI), and impulsivity (BIS-10).
Main Results:
- No significant differences in sociodemographics or suicidality between groups.
- The SA early group showed higher depression, lower reward dependence, lower persistence, and higher harm avoidance compared to the SA late group.
- Differences in reward dependence, persistence, and harm avoidance remained significant after controlling for depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Certain personality traits appear to be variable after a suicide attempt.
- Further longitudinal studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm these findings.
- Investigating therapeutic strategies' influence on trait variability and suicidal behavior is clinically important.
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