Suicide and Aggression

Abstract

Suicide-attempt, suicide-ideation, and non-suicidal control groups of VA neuro-psychiatric patients were divided into psychotic and neurotic subgroups ( ns = 15). Ss viewed two classes of slides, a series of death scenes and one of unpleasant scenes. Each series contained both aggressive and non-aggressive content. Analyses of this 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design, with repeated measures, were based on measures of viewing time, rated tension, and rated liking. Aggressive slides induced greater threat than non-aggressive slides to a significant degree in the death slide series and to a lesser degree in the unpleasant slide series. Suicidal patients did not manifest a consistent style of response to aggressive slides in either series. The measure of aggressive mood also was not different for suicidal and non-suicidal patients. Suicide ideators did not differentiate aggressive and non-aggressive slides but attempters and controls did. The role of anxiety level was discussed.