The relationship between temperament and character features, and social problem solving in psychiatric patients who attempted suicide with drugs: preliminary results

Abstract

Objective: In order to gather information in a broader sample, the aims of this preliminary study were: 1) to identify psychiatric diagnoses and any history of suicidal thoughts and attempts in people who attempt suicide with drugs, 2) to evaluate the temperament and character features, social problem solving skills of these patients in relation to sociodemographic data and 3) to analyze the correlations between these factors. Methods: Sixty patients between 16 and 49 years old participated in this study. A Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), a Sociodemographic Data Form, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and Social Problem Solving Inventory (SPSI) were administered to the participants. Results: According to the SCID-I, 23 (38.3%) of the participants had a major depressive disorder, and 39 (65%) of the participants had a history of previous suicide attempts before this admission. There was a significant relationship between self-esteem scores and the incidence of previous suicide attempts. There were significant (negative) correlations between the harm avoidance, reward dependence, self-directedness and cooperativeness dimensions of the TCI and the problem orientation and problem solving skills subscales of the SPSI. Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders are common in individuals who attempt suicide with drugs. These individuals may have a history of one or more suicide attempts before admission. In addition to differences in temperament and character features, this study found significant disorders of cognition and behavior in individuals that had attempted suicide. This result may indicate that dimensions of temperament and character can provide significant indications for cognitive and behavioral disorders. (Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry 2014; 15:31-38)