Suicide Attempt Histories in Alcohol-Dependent men: Differences in Psychological Profiles

53 alcohol-dependent men without additional Axis I disorders were divided into two groups based on past history of suicide attempts, 15 with such a history & 38 without. A significantly higher percentage of patients in the group with a history of suicide attempts had personal & family histories of either illicit drug use, past psychiatric treatment, or both. Psychological profiles demonstrated exaggerated tendencies toward sociopathy, attitudinal deviance, heightened activity, anxiety, depression, hostility, & disordered thinking among the patients with a history of suicide attempts. Findings highlight the important of designing individualized relapse prevention programs. (16 refs.) JA