Psychological predictors of future suicidal behaviour in hospitalized suicide attempters

Rates of attempted suicide have increased in most Western countries over the past 20 years. This level of deliberate self-harm is made more significant by the fact that a large proportion of attempted suicides will reattempt in the six months following their attempt and as a group they have a high risk of eventually killing themselves. While much of the research on prediction of suicidal behaviour has concentrated on demographic factors, little is known about the psychological variables that precede the suicidal act. This study examined 67 New Zealand suicide attempters on a range of psychological variables including self-esteem, hopelessness, depression, cognitive rigidity and social skills. Subjects were followed up after six months to determine their level of suicidal behaviour and ideation. Results suggest hopelessness and self-esteem are important indicators of future suicidal behaviour, with differential effects over short- and long-term periods. The implications for psychological assessment and suicidal risk assignment are discussed.