The relation of self-hatred and suicidality in people with schizophrenia-spectrum symptoms

Joiner T., Gencoz F., Gencoz T., Metalsky G., Rudd M.

JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT, cilt.23, sa.2, ss.107-115, 2001 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 23 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2001
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.107-115
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: self-hatred, suicidality, schizophrenia, BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, RISK-FACTORS
  • Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

It is well known that depressive symptoms represent a risk for suicidality in general. It is less clear, however, that general depressive symptoms comprise a definite suicide risk factor for people with schizophrenia. Based on this, as well as on the early writings of E. Bleuler (1911/1987), it was hypothesized that there may be a particular aspect of depressive symptoms that combines with schizophrenia to encourage suicidality. Specifically, schizophrenia may impart to self-concept a quality of self-hatred that encourages suicidality in schizophrenic people. If so, then an index of self-hatred should be more correlated with suicidality among people with schizophrenia-spectrum symptoms than among people with fewer such symptoms. Two studies evaluated this possibility. In Study 1 on 243 suicidal outpatients affiliated with the military, self-hate and suicidality were more correlated among people with schizotypal symptoms than among other patients. In Study 2 on 113 VA psychiatric inpatients, self-hate and suicidality were more correlated among people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia than among patients with a diagnosis of major depression. Study limitations were noted, and it was suggested that self-hatred be a focus of suicide risk assessment in schizophrenic people.