Worst-point suicidal plans: a dimension of suicidality predictive of past suicide attempts and eventual death by suicide.
Among 440 psychiatric outpatients with current suicidal ideation, we examined the empirical distinction between the "plans" vs. "desire" dimensions of suicidality, focusing for conceptual and empirical reasons on a worst-point assessment strategy. Factor analyses were consistent with the distinction, but more importantly, among the current ideators included in this study, the worst-point "plans" dimension was the only predictor significantly related to both of two important indices, history of past attempt and eventual suicide. These findings bear on the trajectory of suicidal behavior over time, as well as inform the clinical assessment of suicidal patients.
Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, USA. joiner@psy.fsu.edu
Thomas E
TE
Joiner
Robert A
RA
Steer
Gregory
G
Brown
Aaron T
AT
Beck
Jeremy W
JW
Pettit
M David
MD
Rudd
D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*