Risky Assessments: Participant Suicidality and Distress Associated With Research Assessments in a Treatment Study of Suicidal Behavior

This study examined patterns of self-reported suicidality & distress during research assessment, over a 2-year period, in a sample of 63 women meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder & current & chronic suicidality. Results showed that changes in suicidality following assessments were small & relatively infrequent, & were just as likely to reflect decreases in suicidality as increases. Longitudinal analyses indicated that changes in suicidality became increasingly rare & ratings of distress were more changeable than suicidality. (22 refs)