A Multidimensional Evaluation of Attempted Suicide: The Roles of Depression, Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Temperament...

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between attempted suicide and depression, non-suicidal self-injury, temperament, defence styles, and impulsivity Method: The study included 60 individuals aged 18-60 years who had attempted suicide (30 diagnosed with depressive disorder and 30 without mental disorder), recruited from referrals, walk-in clinics, and inpatients, all of whom had normal mental capacity, were not using drugs that could affect cognitive functions, and had no physical or neurological disease, as well as 30 healthy controls. The Temperament Evaluation Inventory, the Defense Style Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to all participants. The Tower of London test and the Go/NoGo test were applied as neuropsychological tests. Results: The suicide attempters were found to have higher levels of dysthymic temperament (p=0.003), irritable temperament (p=0.025), anxious temperament (p=0.008), and non suicidal self-injury (p=0.000) than the healthy controls. Those with a history of attempted suicide used immature defences more than the healthy controls (p=0.003). In the group of all attempted suicides, the scores for attention deficits and impulsivity were found to be higher than those of the healthy controls. The Go/NoGo test was determined to be able to differentiate those with attempted suicide from the controls (p=0.041). Conclusions: The study findings showed that temperament characteristics, non-suicidal self-injury, executive function deficits, and impulsivity could be risk factors for suicide attempts. Depressed suicide attempters exhibited greater deficits in planning and problem-solving.This study provides evidence regarding the usability of neurocognitive tests in evaluating future suicide risk. Key Words: Attempted suicide, temperament, defence styles, executive functions, non-suicidal self-injury.