Developmental psychopathology in suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescent girls.
OBJECTIVE
This study presents two distinct profiles of female suicide attempters based on social-cognitive development and investigates the relationship of both developmental and suicide risk variables in these profiles.


METHODS
The sample included 139 girls, aged 13-16, admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Patients were divided into four groups based on their suicidal status (attempter/nonsuicidal) and ego development (preconformist/conformist level).


RESULTS
Results support two developmental types of female suicide attempters that differed significantly on symptomatology, diagnoses, and defensive style. Preconformist attempters, the "angry-defiant" suicidal type, present with both depression and aggression as well as externalizing defense mechanisms. Conformist attempters, the "self-blaming" suicidal type, present with depression, and use more internalizing defenses to cope with conflict. Comparing suicide attempters and nonsuicidal girls, depression was found to be a risk factor for suicide at all developmental levels. Defense mechanisms were only associated with suicide at the preconformist developmental level.


CONCLUSIONS
Social-cognitive development has an important impact on the expression of suicidal behavior in adolescent girls.
Laboratory of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA.
S R
SR
Borst
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GG
Noam
D000293:Adolescent; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010553:Personality Development; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data