Electrodermal Reactivity in Male and Female Depressive Patients who Later Died by Suicide

Suicides were compared to suicide attempters & ideators, & nonsuicidal depressives. All had participated in an habituation experiment during inpatient treatment at a mental hospital. Fast habituation was significantly more frequent in the violent suicide/attempter group. Psychophysiologically, low electrodermal responsiveness & fast habituation seem to reflect violence. Findings underline the concept of violent suicidal behavior as a result of an impulse control disturbance. (16 refs.)