[The "lethality" of attempted suicide]

It is possible to quantify medical severity of a suicide attempt ("lethality") and its relationships with other components of the suicidal gesture have to be analysed. Our study about 758 suicide attempts aims to define psychiatric and psychological factors which are linked to "lethality" as measured by Weisman and Worden scale. Results of factorial analysis show a strong relation between "lethality" and some variables proving the intensity of psychological difficulties. Those results suggest the existence of relationship between "high lethality" on one hand, and diagnosis of psychosis, depressive symptomatology, high suicidal intent, some conceptions of death, on the other hand. A "low lethality" is associated with hedonistic conception of death, lack of positive signs of depression, existence of impulsiveness, psychopathic behaviors or lack of established mental disorder. These results reinforce the hypothesis of a relation between severity of patients psychological difficulties and medical severity of suicide attempt.