Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:48:03.709Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Temperament traits in male suicide attempters and violent offenders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

G. Engström ,
B. Persson  and
S. Levander
G. Engström
Affiliation:
Lund Suicide Research Centre, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, University Hospital, 22185Lund, Sweden Department of Community Medicine, Malmö University Hospital, 20502Malmö, Sweden
B. Persson
Affiliation:
Department of Social Psychiatry and Criminology, Lund University, 20502Malmö, Sweden
S. Levander
Affiliation:
Department of Social Psychiatry and Criminology, Lund University, 20502Malmö, Sweden
Get access

Summary

With the purpose of comparing temperament traits in subjects who have been violent towards others and with subjects who have shown self-directed violence, 34 male suicide attempters and 34 male violent offenders were matched for age and psychiatric diagnosis. Violent offenders with a history of suicide attempts were excluded. Temperament traits were assessed by means of the Karolinska Scales of Personality.

The temperament profiles of suicide attempters and violent offenders were very similar, with high trait anxiety and very low socialization. Violent offenders displayed significantly higher social desirability (P < 0.001). Suicide attempters tended to have higher indirect aggression and monotony avoidance. Impulsiveness, verbal aggression, and inhibition of aggression were within the normal range in both groups. There were substantial temperamental similarities between suicide attempters and violent offenders. In order to disentangle the differential mechanisms behind aggression towards self and others, we probably need to consider historical as well as current situation factors in a systematic way.

Keywords

forensic psychiatryKSPpersonalitysuicidetemperamentviolence
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 14 , Issue 5 , September 1999 , pp. 278 - 283
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Harris, ECBarraclough, B. Suicide as an outcome for mental disorders. A meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry 1997; 170: 205–228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stålenheim, EGVonKnorring, L. Psychopathy and axis I and axis II psychiatric disorders in a forensic psychiatric population in Sweden. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996; 94: 217–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Engström, GAlling, CGustavsson, POreland, LTräskman-Bendz, L. Clinical characteristics and biological parameters in temperamental clusters of suicide attempters. J Affect Disord 1997; 44: 45–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levander, SSvalenius, HJensen, J. Alarming figures on inmates at Swedish prisons. Mental disorders are common among the inmates. Läkartidningen 1997; 94: 46–50.Google ScholarPubMed
Freud, S. Mourning and melancholia.In: Strachey, Jed. Complete psychological works, vol 14. London: Hogart press; 1917/1957. p. 152–170.Google Scholar
Nordström, PSchalling, DÅsberg, M. Temperamental vulnerability in attempted suicide. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1995; 92: 155–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Engström, GAlsén, M.Gustavsson, JPSchalling, DTräskman-Bendz, L. Classification of suicide attempters by cluster analysis: a study of the temperamental heterogeneity in suicidal patients. Pers Ind Differences 1996; 21: 687–695.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lolas, FGomez, ASuarez, L. EPQ-R and suicide attempt: the relevance of psychoticism. Pers Ind Differences 1991; 12: 899–902.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Virkkunen, MKallio, ERawlings, RTokola, RPoland, REGuidotti, A. Personality profiles and state aggressiveness in Finnish alcoholic, violent offenders, fire setters, and healthy volunteers. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1994; 51: 28–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klinteberg, BHumble, KSchalling, D. Personality and psychopathy of males with a history of early criminal behavior. Eur J Personality 1992; 6: 245–266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castrogiovanni, PPieraccini, FDiMuro, A. Suicidality and aggressive behavior. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1998; 97: 144–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maiuro, RDÓSullivan, MJMichael, MCVitaliano, PP. Anger, hostility, and depression in assaultive vs. suicide-attempting males. J Clin Psychol 1989; 45: 531–541.3.0.CO;2-K>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Plutchik, R. Outward and inward directed aggressiveness: the interaction between violence and suicidality. Pharmacopsychiatry 1995; 28 Suppl: 47–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, ATDavis, JHFrederick, CPerlin, SPokorny, ASchulman, Ret al. Classification and nomenclature.In: Resnik, HPLHathorne, B eds. Suicide prevention in the seventies. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1972.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 3rd edition (rev) and 4th edition. Washington, DC: APA; 1987, 1994.Google Scholar
Schalling, DÅsberg, MEdman, GOreland, L. Markers for vulnerability to psychopathology : temperament traits associated with platelet MAO activity. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1987; 76: 172–182.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCrae, RRCosta, PT. Social desirability scales: more substance than style. J Consult Clin Psychol 1983; 51: 882–888.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stålenheim, EG. Karolinska scales of personality in a forensic psychiatric population. Stability over time and between situations. Nord J Psychiatry 1997; 51: 379–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalteg, AGustafsson, PLevander, S. Hyperactivity syndrome is common among prisoners. ADHD not only a pediatric psychiatric diagnosis. Läkartidningen 1998; 95: 3078–3080.Google ScholarPubMed
Jensen, JLindgren, MWirsén-Meurling, AIngvar, DHLevander, S. Dyslexia among Swedish prison inmates in relation to neuropsychology and personality. J Intern Neuropsychol Soc 1999, in press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, G. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. New York: Academic Press 1977.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.