Survivors of suicide (184) were classified clinically into serious, ambivalent, and gesture pre- and post-suicidal states. It was noted that the MMPI profile interpretation concurs with this classification and shows the Masculinity-Femininity trend. The profile interpretation makes use of the individual interscale relationships and actuarial profiles. The relationship with the psychiatric clinical diagnostic category is also necessary. The Masculinity-Femininity Scale is essential in MMPI profile interpretation and is significant in statistical terms in differentiating the serious (high risk) attempters from the other groups. The Masculinity-Femininity Scale in conjunction with intrapsychic factor indicators (Scales 2, 4, 6, 7, 8) contributes to the profile interpretation to such an extent that one can significantly differentiate suicidal from non-suicidal depressives, schizophrenics, and personality disorders. In qualitative terms, the Masculinity-Femininity Scale suggests that the serious suicide attempters are psychosexually maladjusted, lack self-confidence, and healthy self-esteem. This is due to a disturbance in their developmental characterological structure.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BarracloughB.BunchJ.NelsonD.SainsburyP.A hundred cases of suicide: Clinical aspects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1974, 125, 355–373.
2.
BeausejourP.SendbuehlerJ. M.HoganT.Attempted, suicide and physical illness. Woodstock: Ontario Government Publ., 1973.
3.
BroidaD. C.An investigation of certain psycho-diagnostic indications of suicidal tendencies and depression in mental hospital patients. Psychiatric Quarterly, 1954, 28, 453–464.
4.
DahlstromW. G.WelshG. S.An MMPI handbook: A guide to use in clinical practice and research. Minneapolis: Univer. of Minnesota Press, 1960.
5.
DahlstromW. G.WelshG.DahlstromL. E.An MMPI handbook. Vol. 11. Research applications. (Rev. ed.) Minneapolis: Univer. of Minnesota Press, 1975.
6.
DevriesA. G.Identification of suicidal behavior by means of the MMPI. Psychological Reports, 1966, 19, 415–419.
FarberowN. L.DevriesA. G.An item differentiation of MMPIs of suicidal neuropsychiatric hospital patients. Psychological Reports, 1967, 20, 607–617.
12.
FinnM. E.Study in suicidal attempts. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1955, 121, 172–176.
13.
GrahamJ. R.The relationship between response bias and “Cannot Say” responses on the MMPI. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Univer. of North Carolina, 1963.
14.
KievA.Cluster analysis profiles of suicide attempters. American Journal of Psychiatry, 1976, 144, 150–153.
15.
LeonardC. V.The MMPI as a suicide predictor. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1977, 45, 367–377.
16.
LesterD.Attempts to predict suicidal risk using psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 1970, 14, 1–17.
17.
LesterD.Why people kill themselves: A summary of research findings on suicidal behavior. Springfield, IL: Thomas, 1972. Vol. 5.
18.
MarksP. A.SeemanW.Actuarial description of abnormal personalities. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1963.
19.
MarksP. A.SeemanW.Actuarial use of the MMPI with adolescents and adults. New York: Williams & Wilkins, 1974.
20.
NeuringerC.Rigid thinking in suicidal individuals. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1964, 1, 28.
21.
PalmerD. W.Factors in suicidal attempts, a review of 25 consecutive cases. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1941, 93, 421.
22.
PepperL. J.The MMPI: Initial test predictors of retest changes. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Univer. of North Carolina, 1964.
23.
PepperL. J.StrongP. N.Judgmental subscales for the Mf scale of the MMPI. Unpublished materials, 1958, cited in W. G. Dahlstrom, G. Welsh, & L. E. Dahlstrom, An MMPI handbook. Vol. 1. Clinical interpretation. (Rev. ed.) Minneapolis: Univer. of Minnesota Press, 1972. P. 411.
24.
PokornyA. D.Characteristics of forty-four patients who subsequently committed suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1960, 2, 314–323.
25.
RingelE.Der Selbstmord, Abschluss einer Krankhaften psychischen Entwicklung. In HoffH.PötzlO. (Eds.), Wiener Beiträge zur Neurologie und Psychiatrie. Düsseldorf: Wilhelm Maudrich, 1953. Vol. Ill. Pp. 104–154.
26.
RingelE.The “pre-suicide syndrome.”Paper read at the 5th World Congress of Psychiatry, Mexico, 1971.
27.
RosenA.HalesW. M.SimonW.Classification of suicidal patients. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1954, 18, 359–362.
28.
Sarwer-FonerG. J.Depression and suicide. Diseases of the Nervous System, 1969, 30, 104–111.
29.
SchmidtE. H.O'NealP.RobinsE.Evaluation of suicide attempts as guide to therapy: Clinical and follow-up of one hundred nine patients. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1954, 155(6), 549–557.
30.
SendbuehlerJ. M.Attempted suicide: Facts and theories. Diseases of the Nervous System (GWAN Suppl.), 1969, 30, 111–114.
31.
SendbuehlerJ. M.Attempted suicide: Description of the pre- and post-suicidal states. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, 1973, 18, 113–116.
32.
SendbuehlerJ. M.BernsteinJ.KincelR. L.Sarwer-FonerG. J.Attempted suicide and social class: Part II. A study of three lives. University of Ottawa Psychiatric Journal, 1978, 3, 95–98.
33.
SendbuehlerJ. M.BernsteinJ.NemethG.Attempted suicide and social class: Part 1. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, 1972, 17, 185–191.
34.
SendbuehlerJ. M.BlandA.NemethG.Attempted suicide: Some statistical and psychiatric parameters: Part 1. Diseases of the Nervous System (GWAN Suppl.), 1970, 31, 59–68.
35.
SendbuehlerJ. M.KincelR. L.NemethG.The varieties of the pre- and post-suicidal states. University of Ottawa Psychiatric Journal, 1978, 3, 87–94.
36.
SimonW.Attempted suicide among veterans. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1950, 111, 451–468.
37.
SimonW.GilbertstadtH.Analysis of the personality structure of 25 actual suicides. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1958, 127, 555–557.
38.
SimonW.HalesW. M.Note on a suicide key in the MMPI. American Journal of Psychiatry, 1949, 106, 222–223.
39.
SimonW.LumryG. K.Suicide of the spouse as a divorce substitute. Diseases of the Nervous System, 1970, 3, 608–612.
40.
TermanL. M.MilesC. C.Sex and personality. New York: Russell & Russell, 1936.
