Aggressiveness or low Control of Impulsiveness?: two Hypotheses About Suicide in Depressives

Ninety-two patients with a true Major Depressive Disorder were distributed into three groups: 1) patients having made a recent serious suicide attempt; 2) patients having suicidal ideas but who had not made a recent suicide attempt; & 3) patients having no thoughts of, or attempts at, suicide. They were all given a questionnaire. Patients in group 1 had a longer depressive phase than those in 2 & 3. Those in group 1 had thought about suicide less frequently during the last month than those in 2. The authors posit that this may suggest a relation between suicide & low control of impulsivity, rather than between suicide & aggressiveness. (17 refs)