Relationships among suicide ideators, attempters, and multiple attempters in a young-adult sample.

Abstract

The relationships among suicide ideators, attempters, and multiple attempters were explored in 332 psychiatric patients referred specifically for suicidal ideation or behavior. Previous researchers have subsumed multiple attempters under the general category of attempters. However, comparisons across a range of variables, including Axis I diagnoses from the revised 3rd edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1987) depressive and anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, hopelessness, problem solving, and a range of personality features revealed that multiple attempters presented a more severe clinical picture and, accordingly, elevated suicide risk compared with attempters and ideators. Observed differences between groups were maintained when attempters with "questionable intent" (i.e., those making equivocal attempts) were excluded from the analyses.

Cognitive Reactivity, Suicidal Ideation and Future Fluency: Preliminary Investigation of a Differential Activation Theory of Hopelessness/Suicidality

“…Consistent with this, the vast majority of previously suicidal participants in these studies had not made a suicide attempt. Clearly differences may exist between suicide ideators and suicide attempters with regard both to the degree and the consequences of suicidal cognitive reactivity (Rudd, Joiner, & Rajab, 1996). A number of factors are likely to moderate the relationship between the ease of activation of suicidal thoughts in response to relatively mild states of low mood and the development of sustained suicidal ideation or subsequent suicidal behavior.…”

Problem-solving ability and repetition of deliberate self-harm: a multicentre study

“…Compared with suicide ideators and first-ever attempters, repeaters have been found to score significantly lower on problemsolving confidence and personal control and significantly higher on approach-avoidance (Rudd et al 1996). In studies of patients with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD), the generation of inappropriate, and to a lesser extent, passive problem solutions [as measured by the Means-Ends Problem Solving scale (MEPS)] were found to be predictive of repetition within 12 months (Kehrer & Linehan, 1996) while poorer engagement in the coping strategy of comforting cognitions has been independently associated with repetition (Rietdijk et al 2001).…”

Motor impulsivity differentiates between psychiatric inpatients with multiple versus single lifetime suicide attempts

“…High-risk takers were approximately twice as likely as low-and moderate-risk takers to report seriously considering suicide in the prior year (Barlas et al, 2013;Bray et al, 2009). Finally, two published studies examined differences between service members with multiple versus single attempts, but neither explored the link between impulsivity and attempt status (KochanskiRuscio et al, 2014;Rudd et al, 1996).…”