Temperament and personality dimensions in suicidal and nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients BACKGROUND: Suicide is a serious public health problem. In the international literature there is evidence to support the notion that certain temperaments and personality traits are often associated with suicidal behavior. SAMPLING AND METHODS: In this study, 150 psychiatric inpatients were investigated using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego autoquestionnaire, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd edition (MMPI-2) and the Beck Hopelessness Scale and evaluated for suicide risk by means of the critical items of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. RESULTS: Statistical analysis, including logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis, showed that suicide risk contributed to the prediction of hopelessness. Among the temperaments, only the hyperthymic temperament, as a protective factor, and the dysthymic/cyclothymic/anxious temperament contributed significantly to the prediction of hopelessness. Irritable temperament and social introversion were predictive factors for suicidal risk. Hopelessness and depression were associated with higher suicidal behavior and ideation, but, unexpectedly, depression as measured by the MMPI did not contribute significantly to the multiple regressions. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that, although suicidal psychiatric patients have MMPI-2 profiles in the pathological range, they exhibit several differences from nonsuicidal patients. Patients at risk of suicide have specific temperaments as well as personality and defense mechanism profiles. They are more socially introverted, depressed and psychasthenic, and use hysterical and schizoid mechanisms more often. Generalizability of the findings was limited by the small sample size and the mix of bipolar disorder I, bipolar disorder II, major depressive disorder and psychotic disorder patients https://www.upress.umn.edu/test-division/bibliography/2000-2009/2008/pompili_temperament_2008 https://www.upress.umn.edu/logo.png

M. Pompili, Z. Rihmer, H.S. Akiskal, M. Innamorati, P. Iliceto, K.K. Akiskal, D. Lester, V. Narciso, S. Ferracuti, R. Tatarelli, Pisa E De, and P. Girardi (2008)

Temperament and personality dimensions in suicidal and nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients

Psychopathology, 41(5):313-321.

Keywords

Anxiety disorders
Beck Hopelessness Scale
Behavior
Bipolar disorder
Critical items
Defense
Defense mechanisms
Depression
Diagnosis
Dysthymic Disorder
Epidemiology
Hopelessness
Hopelessness Scale
Hospitalization
Ideation
Inpatient
inpatients
Interpersonal relations
Interview
Introversion
items
Major depressive disorder
Mean
Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
MMPI
MMPI 2
MMPI-2
MMPI-2 profile
Multiple regression
Patients
Personality
Personality trait
Prediction
Profile
Psychiatric inpatients
Psychotic
Psychotic disorders
Range
Regression
Rehabilitation
Risk
Schizoid
Social behavior
Social introversion
Statistical Analysis
Suicidal
Suicide
Temperament
Trait
University

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Temperament and personality dimensions in suicidal and nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients