title: Do Personality Traits Such as Impulsivity and Hostility-Aggressiveness Predict Severity of Intent in Attempted Suicide? Findings From a Record Based Study in South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the association of personality traits with intent in attempted suicide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our objectives were to assess the levels of selected personality factors among suicide attempters and to examine their association with suicide intent.
  
  
  METHODS
  A chart review of 156 consecutive suicide attempters was carried out. All participants were administered the Beck Suicide Intent Scale, Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11, Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and Past Feelings and Acts of Violence Scale to assess suicide intent, trait impulsivity, hostility-aggression, and violence, respectively. Pearson's product moment correlation was the used as the test of association. Stepwise linear regression was used to identify predictors of suicide intent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicide intent was significantly correlated with verbal aggression (Pearson r = 0.90, P = 0.030), hostility (Pearson r = 0.316, P < 0.001), and nonplanning impulsivity (r = -0.174, P = 0.049). High hostility and low motor impulsivity emerged as significant predictors of suicide intent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personality traits such as hostility and to an extent, impulsivity are accurate predictors of intentionality in attempted suicide. Clinicians should focus on these personality attributes during a routine evaluation of suicide attempters. They can also be considered as potential targets for suicide prevention programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Siddharth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Shivanand
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kattimani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Kaliaperumal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mathan
keywords: Aggression; attempted suicide; hostility; impulsivity; personality; suicide intent