Suicide attempts, substance abuse, and personality

The prevalence and relevance of a positive suicide attempt history among 103 subjects who had entered a substance abuse program and participated in a study of personality was examined. Twenty subjects had a positive suicide attempt history. Women were more likely to attempt suicide. Attempters were more likely to have additional psychiatric diagnoses, such as major depression. Attempters had higher addiction severity scores, abused more substances, and were more likely to have abused alcohol and sedative hypnotics than were nonattempters. DSM-III-R and Eysenck personality measures were compared across groups. Attempters had significantly higher neuroticism and borderline scores. Impulse dysregulation may predispose this group to more severe addictions.