Temperament and Character are Associated with Suicide Attemptsin Patients with Mood Disorders

기분장애 환자에서 자살 시도와 연관된 기질 및 성격

Objective : This study investigated the temperament and character traits associated with suicide attempts in patients with mood disorders. Methods : The temperament and character inventory (TCI) was administered to 150 patients who visited psychiatric clinics seeking treatment for mood symptoms. The patients were divided into three groups as follows : non-suicide ideation, suicide ideation and suicide attempt. We also gathered socio-economic data in order to rule out confounding variables. MANOVA was performed to analyze differences in personal temperament and character scores on the TCI between the three groups. Results : The self-directedness and cooperativeness subscales of the TCI are most influenced by the clinical symptoms rated by Beck Suicide Ideation Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. In the temperament scale, the suicide attempt group scored higher on the novelty seeking and harm avoidance items than the other two groups. The specific temperaments associated with suicidal behavior in patients with depression are impulsivity (NS2) and anticipatory anxiety or pessimism (HA1). Conclusion : In this study, we found that more risky patients who had previously attempted suicide had a temperament of impulsivity or pessimism. This finding suggests that a more cautious approach is needed to assess mood disorder patients with impulsive or pessimistic temperaments in order to prevent suicide attempts.