title: The Rorschach test for predicting suicide among depressed adolescent inpatients.
abstract: With the decreasing length of psychiatric hospitalizations, identification of test indicators of suicide risk becomes critically important. This Rorschach study was designed to model a clinical decision-making scenario concerning adolescent suicide risk. Using Psychiatric Evaluation Form (PEF) scores, we selected a sample of 25 severely depressed and suicidal adolescents; 26 severely depressed, not suicidal adolescents; and 28 not suicidal, not depressed adolescent inpatients at The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital. A Rorschach Index using the Exner (1986) Comprehensive System for scoring was developed to predict group membership. Four of six of the features on this index selected 64% of suicidal subjects. This constellation included traditional affective variables (vista responses, color-shading blends, color dominated responses, and morbid content) as well as measures of cognitive distortion (inaccurately perceived human movement responses [M-] and special scores). We discuss the implications of these findings for the diagnosis and treatment of the suicidal adolescent.
authors.affiliation: Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Silberg
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015588:Observer Variation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012392:Rorschach Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention