Definitions and classification schemes for suicide attempts vary widely among studies, introducing conceptual, methodological, and clinical problems. We tested the importance of the intent to die criterion by comparing self-injurers with intent to die, suicide attempters, and those who self-injured not to die but to communicate with others, suicide gesturers, using data from the National Comorbidity Survey (n = 5,877). Suicide attempters (prevalence = 2.7%) differed from suicide gesturers (prevalence = 1.9%) and were characterized by male gender, fewer years of education, residence in the southern and western United States; psychiatric diagnoses including depressive, impulsive, and aggressive symptoms; comorbidity; and history of multiple physical and sexual assaults. It is possible and useful to distinguish between self-injurers on the basis of intent to die.
(August 2006)
The Journal of Abnormal Psychology
2006
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Prevalence%20of%20and%20risk%20factors%20for%20suicide%20attempts%20versus%20suicide%20gestures%3A%20Analysis%20of%20the%20National%20Comorbidity%20Survey.