Depression, hopelessness, and self-esteem: accounting for suicidality in adolescent psychiatric inpatients

The present study was designed to examine depression, hopelessness, and self-esteem as related to suicidal behavior in three groups of depressed adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Depressed adolescents who had never attempted suicide were compared to depressed adolescents who had attempted suicide once and to depressed adolescents who had attempted suicide on several different occasions. Results showed that suicidal adolescents experienced significantly greater depression and hopelessness than did the nonsuicidal adolescents. However, all three groups of depressed adolescents reported similar low levels of self-esteem. Measures of depression and hopelessness were useful in classifying the adolescents based on their suicidal behavior. Results suggest that the treatment of suicidal adolescents could benefit from strategies that focus on reducing feelings of depression and hopelessness.     

Temperament,Hopelessness, and Attempted Suicide: Direct and Indirect Effects

This study evaluated whether hopelessness mediated the relations between temperament and recent suicide attempter status in a psychiatric sample. Negative temperament and positive temperament (particularly the positive emotionality subscale) uniquely predicted levels of hopelessness. Although these temperament constructs also demonstrated significant indirect effects on recent suicide attempter status, the effects were partially (for the broad temperament scales) or fully (for the positive emotionality subscale) mediated by the levels of hopelessness. These findings indicate that a tendency to experience excessive negative emotions as well as a paucity of positive emotions may lead individuals to experience hopelessness. Although temperament may also indirectly influence suicide attempter status, hopelessness mediates these relations.     

An evaluation of the Psychache Scale on an offender population

This study examined the generalizability of a self-report measure of psychache to an offender population. The factor structure, construct validity, and criterion validity of the Psychache Scale was assessed on 136 male prison inmates. The results showed the Psychache Scale has a single underlying factor structure and to be strongly associated with measures of depression and hopelessness and moderately associated with psychiatric symptoms and the criterion variable of a history of prior suicide attempts. The variables of depression, hopelessness, and psychiatric symptoms all contributed unique variance to psychache. Discussion centers on psychache's theoretical application to the prediction of suicide.     

Perfectionism,Stress, Daily Hassles,Hopelessness, and Suicide Potential in Depressed Psychiatric Adolescents

The current study examined dimensions of perfectionism, stress, hopelessness, and suicidality in a sample of adolescent psychiatric patients diagnosed with depression. This study evaluated the unique contribution of perfectionism in predicting suicidality after considering other predictors (i.e., hopelessness, depression) and it also examined the diathesis-stress model of perfectionism and suicide. A sample of 55 adolescents (41 females, mean age = 15.53, 25.5 % ethnic/racial minorities) who were psychiatric patients completed measures including the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale, subjective and objective indices of life stress, daily hassles, depression, hopelessness, suicide ideation, prior attempts and suicide potential. In addition, other informants (i.e., adolescents’ parents) completed a diagnostic interview and an interview assessing major stressful experiences. Socially prescribed perfectionism (i.e., the perception that others require perfection of oneself) predicted concurrent levels of suicide potential and this association with suicide potential held even after controlling for the variances accounted for by depression and hopelessness. Hierarchical regression analyses provided partial support for the diathesis-stress model, that is, socially prescribed perfectionism interacted with daily hassles to predict concurrent suicide potential even after controlling for depression, hopelessness, and prior suicide attempt. Together, these findings suggest that socially prescribed perfectionism acts as a vulnerability factor that is predictive of suicide potential or risk among clinically depressed adolescents.     

Psychiatric diagnoses of patients visiting a sleep disorder clinic due to dyssomnias

This study analyzed the demographic characteristics and psychiatric diagnoses of 90 consecutive patients who visited a sleep disorder clinic in Taiwan with complaints of insomnia (difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or nonrestorative sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness as evidenced by either prolonged sleep episodes or daytime sleep episodes that occur almost daily). All subjects were interviewed using a sleep disturbance questionnaire and the structured Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview supplemented by the DSM-IV criteria for psychiatric diagnoses. Among 90 patients, 79 were classified as having insomnia and 11 had hypersomnia. 53 patients also had psychiatric diagnoses other than sleep disorders. Patients with insomnia had a significantly higher rate of comorbidities with other psychiatric diagnoses (65.8%) than did subjects with hypersomnia (9.1%). These results emphasize the importance of psychiatric evaluation of patients with complaints of sleep disturbance.     

The Measurement of Positive Attitudes: The Glass is Half Full

Positive thoughts play a significant role in the experience and recovery from depression. The Coping Attitudes Scale (CAS) is a rationally derived measure of positive cognitions. The CAS contains statements reflective of coping attitudes along five domains: life perspective, personal accomplishment, positive future, self-worth, and coping with problems. The current study examined the CAS in psychiatric outpatients and college students. Measures of depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and positive attitudes were administered to 82 adult psychiatric outpatients and 156 college students. Depression and hopelessness were strongly, negatively, partially correlated with each of the CAS factors, after controlling for age. Relationships among individual CAS factors and suicidal ideation demonstrated weak to moderate partial associations, after controlling for age. Depression was significantly associated with the coping with problems subscale (R ² = .530). Hopelessness was significantly related to the positive future subscale (R ² = .696). Further, the CAS demonstrated a significant relationship with depression and hopelessness, even after accounting for the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised, Positive subscale. The CAS may be an improved measure of positive attitudes that could be useful in establishing a patient’s baseline of positive thinking, determining targets for therapy, and in monitoring progress in treatment.     

Perfectionistic self-presentation, socially prescribed perfectionism, and suicide in youth: a test of the perfectionism social disconnection model

The role of interpersonal components of perfectionism in suicide outcomes among youth was assessed and the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) was tested by determining whether the links between socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) and perfectionistic self-presentation (PSP) and suicide outcomes are mediated by experiences of social disconnection, as indicated by social hopelessness and being bullied. PSP, trait perfectionism, suicide outcomes, and experiences of being bullied and social hopelessness were measured in 152 psychiatric outpatient children and adolescents. Correlational tests confirmed that PSP and SPP were associated with suicide outcomes and these interpersonal perfectionism components were associated significantly with bullying and social hopelessness. Support was also obtained for the PSDM. The relationship between the PSP facets, particularly nondisplay of imperfections, and suicide outcomes were mediated by being bullied. Additionally, the relationship between all interpersonal components of perfectionism and suicide risk was mediated by social hopelessness. Theoretical and clinical implications of interpersonal components of perfectionism and social disconnection in suicide outcomes for youth are discussed.     

Suicide Attempts in Preadolescent Child Psychiatry Inpatients

This paper describes a preliminary study examining the relative power of measures of perceived family support, hopelessness, and depression for the classification of suicide attempters and nonattempters in a series of 8- to 13-year-old psychiatric inpatients. Results of a stepwise discriminant-function analysis indicated that a measure of a child's perceived family support discriminated between suicide attempters and nonattempters with an 88% accuracy rate. The addition of measures of hopelessness and depression at later steps did not lead to improved classification. The results are interpreted as providing strong support for a link between suicide attempts in children and perceptions of low family support.     

A test of the hopelessness theory of depression in youth psychiatric inpatients

Evaluated the hopelessness theory of depression among youth psychiatric inpatients. According to the hopelessness theory of depression, negative attributional style may cross-sectionally relate to an array of psychopathological symptoms. However, in the presence but not the absence of negative life events, negative attributional style relates to the onset and exacerbation of depressive (not other) symptoms. Moreover, negative attributional style relates to depression onset or exacerbation specifically via changes in hopelessness (not other mediators). This study of 60 youth psychiatric inpatients (22 boys and 38 girls; ages 9 to 17, M = 14.33, SD = 1.86), 34 of whom were assessed 2 months after leaving the hospital, tested hopelessness theory. At baseline, participants completed self-report questionnaires on attributional style, hopelessness, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety; at follow-up, questionnaires on negative life events and symptoms were completed. Chart diagnoses were available. Results were consistent with all hypotheses derived from hopelessness theory.     

不同教学方法激发与调节大学生学业情绪的教育实验

对天津某高校大二3个教学班77名被试,采用教育实验法探讨了传统教学法、归因训练干预、活动教学法在大学生英语课堂教学中学业情绪的激发与调节情况。结果表明:传统教学法无显著影响;归因训练干预后,学生的焦虑、气愤、放松、自豪、厌烦、失望和兴趣等学业情绪有显著改变;活动教学后,学生的焦虑、羞愧、厌烦、愉快和兴趣等学业情绪有显著改变。实施后两种教学法后,正性情绪得分均有所提高,负性情绪得分均有所下降。两种教学法在激发与调节学业情绪的效果上各有侧重。     

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Adapted for the Vocational Rehabilitation of Significantly Disabled Mentally Ill Adults

Twelve vocational rehabilitation clients with severe mental illness received a comprehensive adaptation of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) delivered in a group format. Treatment consisted of 2 hours of standard DBT skills training per week and 90 minutes of diary card review, chain analysis, and behavioral rehearsal. Participants were selected based on previous failure to obtain or maintain employment. The participants had a mean of 3 psychiatric diagnoses each, and all participants met criteria for a personality disorder, with 58.3% having a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. There were 4 dropouts and 8 treatment completers. The treatment completers improved significantly and maintained their improvements (at 6-month follow-up) in depression, hopelessness, and the experience of anger. In addition, the completers improved significantly from pretreatment to 6 months follow-up on anger expression, control of anger expression, work role satisfaction, and on number of hours worked weekly.     

The Impact of a Suicide Prevention Program for Adolescents on Suicidal Tendencies,Hopelessness, Ego Identity,and Coping

Three-hundred ninety-three adolescents from six schools participated in a study aimed at examining the effectiveness of an experiential suicide prevention program with regard to suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity, and coping ability. The subjects were randomly divided into experimental (n = 215) and control (n = 178) groups. The experimental groups took part in seven weekly 2-hour meetings. The program was based on the notion that a gradual, controlled confrontation and exploration of inner experiences and life difficulties related to suicidal behavior accompanied by an emphasis on coping strategies can immunize against self-destructive feelings. In this pretest-posttest design, the students completed questionnaires of suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity, and coping ability before and after the program. The statistical analyses showed that the experimental groups were superior to the controls, with at least some of the dependent measures pointing out the effectiveness of the program.     

Somatosensory processing and schizophrenia liability: proprioception, exteroceptive sensitivity, and graphesthesia performance in the biological relatives of schizophrenia patients

In the present study, the authors examined somatosensory processing in 30 biological relatives of persons with schizophrenia (hereafter called "schizophrenia relatives"), 30 biological relatives of persons with bipolar affective disorder (psychiatric family control subjects), and 30 healthy control subjects with no family history of psychopathology. All 3 groups completed a weight discrimination task, a 2-point discrimination task, and a complex cognitive somatosensory task (i.e., graphesthesia). The schizophrenia relatives performed significantly worse on all 3 somatosensory tasks compared with both the healthy control subjects and the bipolar relatives. The healthy control subjects and psychiatric family control subjects showed no significant differences on any of the somatosensory tasks. Within the weight discrimination and 2-point discrimination tasks, schizophrenia relatives showed group differences on the d' index, the measure of sensitivity, whereas all 3 groups did not differ on lnbeta, the measure of response bias, suggesting a genuine difference in weight and touch sensitivity. The d' value of the weight discrimination task was significantly associated with both the cognitive-perceptual factor and negative symptom factor of the clinical questionnaire (e.g., Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire; SPQ), whereas the 2-point discrimination d' value and graphesthesia scores were significantly associated only with the cognitive-perceptual factor of the SPQ. Implications for the possible relation between somatosensory task performance and schizophrenia liability are discussed.     

Hopelessness,Parent‐Adolescent Communication,and Suicidal Ideation among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Based on the responses of 5,557 Chinese secondary students in Hong Kong, the relationships among perceived hopelessness, family functioning, and suicidal ideation were examined. Results showed that suicidal ideation was positively related to hopelessness, but negatively related to parent‐adolescent communication. Compared with father‐adolescent communication, mother‐adolescent communication generally had a stronger association with adolescent suicidal ideation. It was further found that the linkage between hopelessness and adolescent suicidal ideation was stronger under a low parent‐adolescent communication condition, thus suggesting the moderating effect of parent‐adolescent communication on the effect of hopelessness on suicidal ideation. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Implicit Hopelessness and Condom Use Frequency: Exploring Nonconscious Predictors of Sexual Risk Behavior1

Current models of affect and health posit that affective disturbance influences health through behavioral pathways. The current research explores this hypothesis in the domain of sexual risk behavior by testing explicit and implicit hopelessness as predictors of condom use. Male and female undergraduates (n = 60) completed implicit and explicit measures of depression, hopelessness, and self‐reported condom use frequency. Findings revealed that implicit hopelessness predicted less condom use. However, this relationship was moderated by gender such that implicit hopelessness predicted less condom use for men, but not for women. The applicability of the findings to broader health theories is discussed.     

Psychosocial and health-related characteristics of religious well-being

This investigation examined the relationship between religions well-being and eight psychosocial and health-related characteristics. This study assessed the hypothesis that religious well-being is related to overall health. Participants were 462 college students at two separate colleges in the Pacific Northwest. Analysis showed those subjects scoring higher on the measure of religious well-being scored lower on indices like loneliness and hopelessness and higher on self-esteem. Alcohol and drug use also differed significantly between the high and the low, religious well-being groups.     

Late‐life Depression,Suicidal Ideation,and Attempted Suicide: The Role of Individual Differences in Maximizing,Regret, and Negative Decision Outcomes

Suicide rates are highest in adults of middle and older age. Research with psychiatric patients has shown that proneness to feel regret about past decisions can grow so intense that suicide becomes a tempting escape. Here, we examine the additional role of individual differences in maximizing, or the tendency to strive for the best decision, rather than one that is good enough. We provided individual‐difference measures of maximizing, regret proneness, and negative life decision outcomes (as reported on the Decision Outcome Inventory) to a nonpsychiatric control group, as well as three groups of psychiatric patients in treatment for suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, or non‐suicidal depression. We found that scores on the three individual‐difference measures were worse for psychiatric patients than for nonpsychiatric controls and were correlated to clinical assessments of depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. More importantly, maximizing was associated with these clinical assessments, even after taking into account maximizers' worse life decision outcomes. Regret proneness significantly mediated those relationships, suggesting that maximizers could be at risk for clinical depression because of their proneness to regret. We discuss the theoretical relevance of our findings and their promise for clinical practice. Ultimately, late‐life depression and suicidal ideation may be treated with interventions that promote better decision making and regret regulation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Affective, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in adolescents with multiple suicide attempts

The purpose of this study was to examine affective, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in adolescents with multiple suicide attempts. Forty-seven adolescents with a history of multiple suicide attempts (MA) were compared to 74 single suicide attempters (SA) on psychiatric diagnosis, depressive symptoms, affect regulation, self-mutilation, alcohol use, and hopelessness. Results revealed that the MA group was more likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder, and reported more severe depressive symptoms and anger, in comparison to the SA group. Behaviorally, the MA group had higher rates of disruptive behavior disorders and higher levels of affect dysregulation and serious self-mutilation than the SA group. Further, greater levels of hopelessness were reported by the MA than the SA group. After controlling for a mood disorder diagnosis, only differences in anger, affect dysregulation, and serious self-mutilation remained significant. Overall, results suggest that treatment with adolescent suicide attempters might specifically target anger and affect dysregulation to reduce risk for future suicidal behavior.     

Completed suicide in the gifted: a late comment on "suicide among gifted women".

A recent study by Tomlinson-Keasey, Warren, and Elliott (1986) found differences between completed suicides in Terman's sample of gifted children and comparison subjects. The present article suggests that the differences identified in Tomlinson-Keasey et al. may have been confounded by the fact that completed suicides are typically found to have higher levels of psychiatric disturbance than nonsuicides. Data are presented to illustrate that when the completed suicides in Terman's sample are matched for psychiatric disturbance with the comparison subjects, few differences are found.