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Hostility and Deliberate Self-Poisoning: The Role of Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

R. Farmer
R. Farmer*
Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital; , University College Hospital, Gower Street, London WC1E 6AU
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Abstract

The evidence for an association between hostility and deliberate self-poisoning is reviewed. Although the concept of hostility is poorly defined and different measuring instruments may not measure the same entity, self-poisoning subjects as a group appear to have very high levels of hostility. However, depression is also associated with hostility and when studies have taken into account the psychiatric diagnosis of overdose patients it is outwardly-directed hostility which distinguishes these individuals from other psychiatric patients or normals. A model is proposed to show the inter-relationships of hostility, depression and self-poisoning.

Type
Review Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 150 , Issue 5 , May 1987 , pp. 609 - 614
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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