title: Personality differences in early versus late suicide attempters.
abstract: Suicidality is an individual behaviour caused by a complex framework of internal and external factors. The predictive values of personality traits for a suicide attempt have been demonstrated, especially in conjunction with Cloninger's TCI and impulsivity. Two issues remain unsolved, namely whether these traits alter over time after a suicide attempt, and how they may be influenced by depressive symptoms.
  
  
  
  We studied two patient cohorts: one sample of 81 patients after a suicide attempt no longer than 3 months previously (SA early) and another sample of 32 patients whose attempt had taken place more than 6 months previously (SA late). We carried out structured interviews with these subjects addressing diagnosis (MINI), suicidality (Scale for suicide ideation), depression (HAMD-17), temperament and character inventory (TCI), and impulsivity (BIS-10). Data analysis was done using SPSS 16.0.
  
  
  
  Our two groups did not differ significantly in sociodemographics or suicidality. However, patients in the SA early group were significantly more depressed (p < 0.001), and scored lower in reward dependence (p < 0.001) and persistence (p = 0.005) but higher in harm avoidance (p < 0.001); they did not differ significantly in impulsivity (p < 0.01). Reward dependence, persistence, and harm avoidance remained significantly different between the two groups after controlling for depressive symptoms.
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest that some personality traits vary after a suicide attempt. Further investigations are necessary to verify our results, ideally in longitudinal studies with larger, carefully-described cohorts. It would be also clinically important to investigate the influence of therapeutic strategies on the variability of personality traits and their impact on suicidal behavior.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany. ute.lewitzka@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
authors: Ute
authors: U
authors: Lewitzka
authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Denzin
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Cathrin
authors: C
authors: Sauer
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Bauer
authors: Psychiatric Department of the Municipal Hospital Dresden-Neustadt, Dresden, Germany.
authors: Burkhard
authors: B
authors: Jabs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D020377:Self Efficacy; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Impulsivity; Personality; Suicide attempt; Temperament and character Inventory