The relationship between suicide attempts and different vulnerability factors was investigated in 61 male subjects during forensic psychiatric examination. Personality traits and psychopathy were determined by means of the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Clinical diagnoses were determined by the use of Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was investigated in 58 subjects.

Suicide attempters had extremely low socialization and high impulsive aggression. This was independent of a history of repeatedly criminal violence or not. They had higher PCL-R scores and lower levels of platelet MAO activity than non-attempters. No relationship was found between suicide attempts and repeated violent criminality. However, among the subjects with repeated criminal violence there was a highly significant difference between suicide attempters and non-attempters, indicating different personality profiles in violent offenders with and without suicidal behavior. Suicidal behavior was significantly associated with borderline personality disorder, but not with any other single DSM-III-R disorder. The results show a far more severe personality disturbance in suicide attempters than in other violent patients in this type of population. Suicidal behavior should therefore be evaluated and treated per se.

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.

The purpose was to assess personality traits in subjects with a DSM-IV diagnosis of social phobia. Thirty-two subjects were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV for Axes I and II disorders (SCID I and II). Personality traits were assessed by means of the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). Current and lifetime axis I co-morbidity was diagnosed in 28% and 53% of the subjects, respectively. In total, 59% had at least one personality disorder and 47% were diagnosed with an avoidant personality disorder.

The social phobics scored significantly higher than a Swedish normative sample on the KSP measuring anxiety proneness, irritability, detachment, and indirect aggression but lower on the scales for socialisation and social desirability. The presence as compared to absence of avoidant personality disorder in the social phobics was associated with significantly higher psychic anxiety and inhibition of aggression. In addition, symptom severity was higher in social phobics with an avoidant personality disorder. Generally, the results support the view that social phobia and avoidant personality disorder reflect different aspects of a social anxiety spectrum.

Se investigó la relación entre los intentos de suicidio y diferentes factores de vulnerabilidad en 61 sujetos varones durante el examen psiquiátrico forense. Los rasgos de personalidad y la psicopatía se determinaron por medio de las Escalas Karolinska de la Personalidad (KSP) y la Lista de Psicopatía Revisada (PCL-R). Los diagnósticos clínicos se determinaron por el uso de la Entrevista Clínica Estructurada para el DSM-III-R (SCID). La actividad de la monoaminooxidasa (MAO) de las plaquetas se investigó en 58 sujetos. Los pacientes que intentaron suicidarse tenían puntuaciones sumamente bajas en socialización y altas en agresión impulsiva. Esto era independiente de que existieran antecedentes de reincidencia en delitos violentos o no. Estos sujetos tenían puntuaciones más altas en la PCL-R y niveles más bajos de actividad de la MAO de las plaquetas que los que no intentaron suicidarse. No se encontró relación entre los intentos de suicidio y la reincidencia en delitos violentos. Sin embargo, entre los sujetos con reincidencia en delitos violentos había una diferencia muy significativa entre quienes intentaron suicidarse y quienes no, lo que indica perfiles de personalidad diferentes en los delincuentes violentos con y sin comportamiento suicida. El comportamiento suicida se asociaba significativamente con el trastorno límite de la personalidad, pero no con ningún otro trastorno individual del DSM-III-R. Los resultados muestran una perturbación de la personalidad mucho más grave en los pacientes que intentaron suicidarse que en otros pacientes violentos en este tipo de población. Por tanto, la conducta suicida se debería evaluar y tratar per se.

El propósito era evaluar los rasgos de la personalidad en sujetos con un diagnóstico del DSM-IV de fobia social. Se administró a 32 sujetos la Entrevista Clínica Estructurada para el DSM-IV para los trastornos de los Ejes I y II (SCID I y II). Los rasgos de la personalidad se evaluaron por medio de las Escalas Karolinska de la Personalidad (KSP). Se diagnosticó comorbilidad actual y vital del Eje I en el 28% y el 53% de los sujetos, respectivamente. En total, el 59% tuvo al menos un trastorno de la personalidad y se diagnosticó trastorno de la personalidad por evitación al 47%. Las personas con fobia social puntuaron significativamente más alto que una muestra normativa sueca en las KSP que medían propensión a la ansiedad, irritabilidad, despego y agresión indirecta, pero más bajo en las escalas para socialización y deseabilidad social. La presencia de trastorno de la personalidad por evitación en las personas con fobia social, comparado con su ausencia, se asociaba significativamente con ansiedad psíquica más alta e inhibición de la agresión. Además, la gravedad de los síntomas era mayor en las personas con fobia social y trastorno de la personalidad por evitación. En general, los resultados apoyan la idea de que la fobia social y el trastorno de la personalidad por evitación reflejan aspectos diferentes de un espectro de ansiedad social.