Citation

Borst SR, Noam GG. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 1993; 32(3): 501-508.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8496112

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study presents two distinct profiles of female suicide attempters based on social-cognitive development and investigates the relationship of both developmental and suicide risk variables in these profiles. METHOD: The sample included 139 girls, aged 13-16, admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Patients were divided into four groups based on their suicidal status (attempter/nonsuicidal) and ego development (preconformist/conformist level). RESULTS: Results support two developmental types of female suicide attempters that differed significantly on symptomatology, diagnoses, and defensive style. Preconformist attempters, the "angry-defiant" suicidal type, present with both depression and aggression as well as externalizing defense mechanisms. Conformist attempters, the "self-blaming" suicidal type, present with depression, and use more internalizing defenses to cope with conflict. Comparing suicide attempters and nonsuicidal girls, depression was found to be a risk factor for suicide at all developmental levels. Defense mechanisms were only associated with suicide at the preconformist developmental level. CONCLUSIONS: Social-cognitive development has an important impact on the expression of suicidal behavior in adolescent girls.

Language: en