Date of Award

2005

Publication Type

Doctoral Thesis

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Psychology, Behavioral.

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Studies on suicide have largely been inadequate because they have failed to understand suicidality from a comprehensive theoretical basis, which has contributed to the poor ability of mental health practitioners to predict and avert completed suicide. The aim of the present study was therefore to apply Blatt's theory of distinctive forms of disorder, based on dependent and self-critical personality dimensions (Blatt 1974, Blatt & Shichman, 1983), to suicidal behavior, and use this theory to facilitate an in-depth discussion of suicidal action. Ninety-six undergraduate students that had attempted suicide in the past participated and were administered a series of measures related to suicidal behavior, involving impulsivity, intent, and lethality. Dependent and self-critical individuals engaged in often contrasting suicidal behavior along these parameters, with self-critical individuals posing the greatest level of risk. These differences were congruent with the theoretical framework proposed. Implications for suicide risk assessment, management and treatment are discussed, with special reference to the importance of identifying distinctive suicidal subgroups along anaclitic and introjective personality dimensions. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-11, Section: B, page: 6256. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2005.

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