Stressful Life Events and Impulsiveness in Failed Suicide

Abstract

The relationship of recent stressful life events with impulsiveness in triggering suicide attempts and how impulsiveness changes from one suicide attempt to another is unclear. This study used structured-interview tools and standardized measurements to examine the relationship between life stress and impulsiveness in a sample of patients who required hospitalization for a medically serious suicide attempt. After controlling for potentially confounding variables, the number of disrupted interpersonal relationships in the preceding year was a significant predictor of the impulsiveness of the suicide attempt, with three or more losses (but not other life stresses) associated with less impulsive attempts (T = 2.4, p = .02). Female gender (T = -1.98, p = .05) and lifetime DMS-III-R diagnoses (T = -2.45, p = .02) were significantly associated with more impulsive attempts. In 55 patients with at least two suicide attempts, impulsiveness, lethal intent, and communication of intent were significantly greater for the present compared to the prior attempt (p = 0.000). Certain stressful life events, gender, and total lifetime DSM-III-R diagnoses are associated with impulsiveness of failed suicide attempts; yet, impulsiveness is not necessarily consistent from one suicide attempt to another. This evidence supports and amplifies a stress-diathesis model of suicide behavior. Accordingly, efforts to increase personal resilience in individuals who have "failed suicide" may be more effective at preventing suicide morbidity than simple stress-reduction measures alone.

Patterns of Stressful Life Events: Distinguishing Suicide Ideators from Suicide Attempters

“…The findings also warrant wider implementation of stress management techniques in order to develop adaptive ways to manage stress. The efficacy of these techniques may be enhanced when coupled with strategies to increase personal resilience amongst vulnerable groups (Weyrauch et al, 2001). Finally, while the odd ratios are small, this may be symptomatic of the examination of an "at risk" population.…”

Quantifying the impact of recent negative life events on suicide attempts.

“…For instance, research indicates that experiencing a recent NLE (i.e., 2 days prior to suicide) was associated with less planning of that fatal act (Conner, Phillips, & Meldrum, 2007). Moreover , Weyrauch, Roy-Byrne, Katon, and Wilson (2001) demonstrated that certain past-year interpersonal NLEs, but not noninterpersonal NLEs, were related to less planning of a recent attempt. However, although previous results are suggestive of a NLE-planning interaction, little explanation has been provided for why NLEs may be particularly relevant for nonplanners.…”

The Relation Between Sexual Orientation and Suicide Attempts in Austria

“…An elevated risk for completed suicides was reported by a Danish study that used national registers (and thus overcame self-report problems): individuals in registered same-sex partnerships had about three-times greater risk for having committed suicide than those in opposite-sex marriages (Qin, Agerbo, & Mortensen, 2003). Moreover, a homosexual or bisexual orientation was a strong predictor for future suicides among psychiatric patients (Martin, Cloninger, Guze, & Clayton, 1985;Motto, Heilbron, & Juster, 1985) and a homosexual or bisexual self-identification was clearly overrepresented (25%) among failed suicides (Weyrauch, Roy-Byrne, Katon, & Wilson, 2001). Given these findings, it may be plausible to assume that the increased suicide risk of sexual minorities is not a result of weaknesses of research methods.…”