Year: 1969 Source: Archives of General Psychiatry, v.21, (1969), p.536-545 SIEC No: 19830545

The theoretical relationship between suicide & personality organization was explored by finding an autokinetic index – the amount of apparent movement of a stationary light – for suicidal & other subjects at 3 hospitals. Findings generally support the notion that an ego-close personality, characterized by concentration on external stimuli (&, therefore, a lower autokinetic index) is more susceptible to suicide than is a less entrapping ego-distant personality. (21 refs.) (RM)