Rescue expectations and hopelessness in adolescent parasuicides.

The study examined 40 adolescent parasuicides' reports of whether they expected to be rescued following parasuicide gestures. Measures of hopelessness were also assessed. 45% of these Indian South Africans reported that they expected to be rescued while the rest did not. There was no significant sex difference in expectation of rescue. There was also no significant difference between hopelessness scores of those expecting rescue and those not expecting rescue; however, the latter had a mean hopelessness score above the cut-off score suggested as predictive of subsequent suicide.