Temperament, character and suicide attempts in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and major depression.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the relation between personality traits as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and a reported history of suicide attempts in women with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and major depression.


METHODS
We compared the prevalence and severity of suicide attempts in women with anorexia nervosa (n = 68), bulimia nervosa (n = 152) and major depression with no history of an eating disorder (n = 59), and we examined the relation between the TCI scales and suicide attempts.


RESULTS
Comparable numbers of women across the three groups had attempted suicide. The temperament dimension of high persistence and the character dimensions of low self-directedness and high self-transcendence were associated with a reported history of suicide attempts.


CONCLUSIONS
Suicide attempts are equally common in women with eating disorders and women with depression. Whether the observed association between temperament and suicide attempts reflects correlates, causal factors or sequelae of suicide attempts is unknown.
Bulik
C M
CM
Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond 23298-0126, USA.
Sullivan
P F
PF
Joyce
P R
PR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002605:Character; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D013694:Temperament / Q000502:physiology*