
Research view
Title: | Dissociative phenomena in attempted suicide |
Author: | Hala Fakhry |
Abstract: |
Background
Dissociation may play a role in forgetting the events during self-infl icted behaviors and suicidal
trials.
Objective
A trial was conducted to investigate the presence of dissociative phenomena among people
attempting suicide.
Participants and methods
A convenient sample of 77 suicide attempters who joined the study (Group 1) was admitted to
‘Sharjah Kuwaiti Hospital’ in 2007 under police supervision. These patients reported forgetting
the details of the suicidal trial, and hence they were referred for psychiatric consultation.
Only fully conscious patients with clear sensorium who gave consent were included. Clinical
assessment of Group1 included SCID to diagnose patients according to Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed (DSM-IV). Psychometric assessment for
patients was performed using the Questionnaire of Experience of Dissociation (QED) and the
Dissociative Experience Scale (DES) for dissociative phenomena, the analysis of their response
to a direct question about suicidal ideation in item 9 of the Beck Depression Inventory as the
suicidal index and the assessment of the degree of hopelessness using the Hopelessness
Scale (HS). A matching control group of 50 volunteers with ‘no psychiatric disorder’ from the
general population (Group 2) was included in the study for comparison.
Results
Although 29 (37.66%) of the suicidal attempters in Group 1 had no psychiatric diagnosis, 48
(62.34%) had psychiatric diagnosis and three of them had both Axis I and Axis II DSM-IV
diagnoses. MDD was the most prevalent diagnosis among these diagnoses [22 (59.46%)].
Results showed signifi cantly high scores (P = 0.0001) of QED, DES, and HS in the study
group (Group 1) compared with the control group (Group 2). A highly signifi cant difference
was found in the mean score of dissociative scales, QED (P = 0.0040) and DES (P < 0.0001),
between attempters with and without psychiatric diagnosis, but not in the mean scores of HS
(P = 0.7640). A statistically signifi cant difference was found between the method used in the
suicidal attempt and the mean scores of HS (P = 0.0060) and DES (P = 0.0001), but not QED
(P = 0.4755).
Conclusion
Suicidal attempters have a high prevalence of dissociative phenomena. The presence of
psychiatric diagnosis and not the method used in suicide may play a role in increasing the
suicidal intent.
Keywords:
dissociation, hopelessness, suicidal attempt, suicidal ideation
|
Journal: | Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry 2015, 36:45–53 |
Text: | |
Download Link |