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Desperation and Other Affective States in Suicidal Patients
Author(s) -
Hendin Herbert,
Maltsberger John T.,
Haas Ann Pollinger,
Szanto Katalin,
Rabinowicz Heather
Publication year - 2004
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.34.4.386.53734
Subject(s) - suicidal behavior , psychology , psychiatry , clinical psychology , medicine , medical emergency , suicide prevention , poison control
Data collected from 26 therapists who were treating patients when they died by suicide were used to identify intense affective states in such patients preceding the suicide. Eleven therapists provided comparable data on 26 patients they had treated who were seriously depressed but not suicidal. Although the two groups had similar numbers diagnosed with MDD, the suicide patients showed a significantly higher total number of intense affects in addition to depression. The acute affective state most associated with a suicide crisis was desperation. Hopelessness, rage, abandonment, self‐hatred, and anxiety were also significantly more frequently evidenced in the suicide patients.