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Psychache and Suicide: A Preliminary Investigation
Author(s) -
Pompili Maurizio,
Lester David,
Leenaars Antoon A.,
Tatarelli Roberto,
Girardi Paolo
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.2008.38.1.116
Subject(s) - psychiatry , psychology , clinical psychology , psychological pain , suicide prevention , scale (ratio) , suicide risk , medicine , poison control , medical emergency , physics , quantum mechanics
Shneidman's Psychological Pain Assessment Scale (PPAS; 1999) was administered to 88 psychiatric patients. Both current and worst‐ever psychache were significantly higher in those patients judged by a psychiatrist, on the basis of a structured clinical interview, to be at risk of suicide. However, current and worst‐ever psychache were not associated with having attempted suicide in the past. Thus, for the present sample of psychiatric patients, the PPAS appears to be more sensitive to current suicidality than to past suicidality. Further, there are validity issues with the PPAS, with the need for multi‐item measures and probably a multi‐factor measure.