title: Suicidal ideation and temperament: an investigation among college students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suicide is a major health problem accounting for up to 1.5 percent of all deaths worldwide and represents one of the most common causes of death in adolescents and young adults. A number of studies has been performed to establish risk factors for suicide in patients with psychiatric disorders including temperamental features. This study set out to assess the relationship between suicidal ideation and temperament in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional sample of healthy college students (n=1381) was examined using a self-rating questionnaire. Suicidal ideation, social background, educational status, substance abuse, and affective temperament according to TEMPS-M were assessed. Predictors of lifetime suicidal ideation were examined in multivariate logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicidal ideation was reported by 12.5% of all subjects at some point in their life and was higher in nicotine dependents, youth with alcohol related problems and users of illicit substances as well as in youth with lower educational status. Lifetime suicidal ideation was associated with the anxious, depressive and cyclothymic temperament in both sexes and the irritable temperament in males. These results remained significant after adjustment for smoking status, frequency of alcohol consumption, drug experience and educational status in a multivariate logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of self-rating instruments always reduces objectivity and introduces the possibility of misreporting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the fact that many subjects completing suicide have never been diagnosed with mental disorders it might be reasonable to include an investigation of temperament in screenings for risk of suicide. This might be especially useful for health care professionals without mental health care background.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skala
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kapusta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schlaff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unseld
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erfurth
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Lesch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Akiskal
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Akiskal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013694:Temperament; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention