title: Self-attitudes and suicidal behavior.
abstract: Findings are reported concerning the hypothesized relationship between adoption of suicidal responses (ideation, threats, attempts) and antecedent negative self-attitudes. Data were provided by junior high school student (N = 3,148) responses to questionnaires administered three times at annual intervals. Antecedent negative self-attitudes were measured by a seven-item self-derogation scale at the first testing. Adoption of suicidal responses was indicated by earlier denial and subsequent affirmation of the response (self-reports). Findings indicate that suicidal behaviors are responses (whether or not subsequently continued) to experiences of negative self-attitudes in the more recent past. However, whether or not suicidal behaviors are related to self-derogating feelings in the more remote past can be seen as a function of a sex-social-class-mode of suicidal response interaction.
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D013997:Time Factors