[Family characteristics of youngsters attempting suicide in Campinas, Brazil: a comparative study with normal and...

A clinical-epidemiological study of the type of case-control, in which the group of cases was made up of 50 youngsters, between 12 and 27, who had attempted suicide some days before, was carried out. This group was matched by age, sex and social-economic level with two control groups. One was made up of 50 normal youngsters (each pair selected at random, in the same district where the case lived), and the other one made up of 50 youngsters who had come for their first psychiatric visit, and had no suicidal antecedents. When the three groups were compared, it was noticed that the suicidal group revealed: a deeper parental gap, these gaps manifested earlier, the relationship between parents was worse. There was a higher rate of somatic and mental diseases and alcoholism, and the family had more legal problems. Three criteria for broken homes were used, and in all of them the proportion of the suicidal groups was much higher. These data were discussed together with clinical results with the finality of suggesting that such family traits hinder the normal separation-individuation phase, keeping the patient at symbiotic regressive phases, which are intensified at adolescence. The breaking up or threat of breaking up of these symbiotic connections (commonly with sexual partners) leads to sexual acting out and suicidal attempts.