Resource Tag: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

A 16-item inventory of myths about suicide was given anonymously to all 63 officers in one department. On many of the items which have practical importance, few officers agreed with the myth, e.g. only 3.2% believed that all suicides leave a note. Accuracy was lower on the more academic items which have little relevance for […]

To explore whether suicidal people might respond deviantly to the Rokeach Value Survey, a questionnaire containing the Beck Depression Inventory, the Rokeach Value Survey & questions on suicidal ideation, threats or attempts, was administered to 127 undergraduates. Neither current nor past suicidal preoccupation was associated significantly with the rankings of 18 instrument values. Rokeach Value […]

The effect of mood change on reasons for living was examined in a sample of 132 college students. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 8 conditions (4 mood inductions, 2 experimental designs). The mood inductions were elation, depression, a placebo treatment & a time control. Results indicated that mood influences the cognitive reasons people […]

An investigation with 86 university students tested the concurrent & convergent validity of Beck’s & Yufit’s scales of suicide risk. Moderate correlations were found between these 2 scales. Both authors had stressed the importance of time perspective in the development of their scales. Beck’s Hopelessness Scale was found to correlate well with other attitudinal measures […]

From 1969-70, 50 465 Swedish men, aged 18 to 20, were conscripted for military service. All underwent psychological testing, & statistics are provided for the specific mental disorders the men displayed. Finds that those who had been diagnosed in in-patient care had a much higher risk for suicide than those screened through testing. However, although […]

CSF findings distinguished 12 elderly depressed patients who had attempted suicide from 9 depressed patients who did not & from 7 normal control subjects. Psychosocial factors & measures of psychopathology did not differentiate suicidal from nonsuicidal patients. Biochemical factors may be important in evaluating suicide risk in the elderly. (10 refs.)

This letter to the editor analyzes the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The author admits it is a farly sensitive instrument; however, he criticizes Beck for the high numbers assessed as suicidal, while few actually demonstrated such behavior. He also criticizes Beck for not providing data on certain demographic variables. Beck responds by pointing out that even […]

This introductory chapter of a book on the assessment & prediction of suicide first defines the difference between assessment & prediction. The authors then discuss the many types of self destructive behavior that experts attempt to predict. The authors contest whether prediction and/or assessment is possible, & describe some of the methods commonly used (e.g. […]

This article describes the various personality assessment tests used to evaluate suicide risk, including the Rorscharch, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), & the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). A case history is also presented. The authors conclude that the tests are not particularly useful for assessing immediate risk, but may help discover suicidal tendencies. They […]

This article describes a questionnaire being developed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St.Louis. The questionnaire is based on a study which identified the risk factors of 3,000 inner-city adolescents who came to free clinics for medical care. 1 of 12 subjects reported that they had attempted suicide. Some of the primary […]

This study examined possible predictors of traumatic deaths within a Southern California retirement community. The strongest indicator was the mental outlook assessment score. Individuals in the poorest summary score category were 23 times more likely to complete suicide than those in the best summary score category. Other risk indicators include: being widowed or divorced, sleeping […]

This presidential address from the 1990 American Association of Suicidology Conference outlines how suicide assessment can be improved. The author outlines established assessment instruments, such as the focused interview, & the Suicide Screening Check List. He also discusses new avenues in assessment research, for example, more specific tests for immediate & long-term risk, as well […]

This article outlines the elements of a psychiatric interview with an elderly patient. The author describes how to obtain a full history of the patient, including symptoms, present & past episodes of medical & psychiatric disorders, & family history. He also describes the elements of physical & mental status examination & family assessment. He concludes […]

Issues concerning the use of predictive & screening instruments include the difficulties posed by temporal changes in the base rates for the behaviour of interest, the possible advantage of using 3 rather than 2 risk categories, & the desirability of specifying in advance the proportional sizes of the risk subgroups. A method for constructing & […]

A questionnaire to measure inward irritability & outward irritability was given to college students. Inward irritability scores correlated .27 with outward irritability scores. Those students who had attempted suicide had high inward irritability scores; those who had threatened suicide had high inward & outward irritability scores. Results supported the proposition that some suicidal people may […]

The individual & interpersonal dynamics of 21 suicidal persons & their partners were investigated using interviews & psychological tests. Results revealed dynamics characterized by complementarity of overt individual functioning & similarity of covert individual functioning. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of an integrative model of individual & interpersonal dynamics. (39 ref)

Discusses the relative scarcity of psychodynamically related tests & describes an approach to outpatient treatment called sequential psychodiagnostic evaluation. The 1st stage refers to the evaluation of crisis issues such as suicidality or psychosis; the 2nd to ego-dystonic symptom assessment; & the 3rd to the assessment of ego-syntonic states. Illustrates construction of selected scales & […]

This article outlines assessment techniques for adolescent & childhood depression. An epidemiology is provided, & a number of theories explaining the causes of youth depression are briefly outlined. The author also describes the Adolescent Coping With Depression Course, & concludes by presenting samples from a number of psychological tests – for example, the Beck Depression […]

Describes a study that examines the relationship between specific personality disorders & suicidal behavior among young adult males. Actively suicidal patients & those with suicidal ideation were found to have significantly higher numbers of pathological personality traits than non-suicidal patients. The combination of borderline & avoidant traits was the most common for patients with suicidal […]

“Under revision for journal publication.”

This comprehensive report discusses substance abuse & suicide among the elderly. The author provides numerous case examples of elderly substance abuse & suicidal behaviour. He discusses alcohol misuse, as well as drug use, misuse & abuse. The results of a pilot study using a questionnaire to identify alcohol use, & prescription & non-prescription drug use […]