ANGER, IMPULSIVITY AND SUICIDE RISK

Background: To examine the relationship between anger, impulsivity and suicidality. Methods: Thirty psychiatric inpatients admitted for suic idal behavior were compared with 30 nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients and 32 healthy controls on measures of anger, impulsivity and suicide risk. Results: The three groups were similar on demographic variables , but the suicidal group scored higher on the suicide risk scale, impu lsivity scale and anger scale. Anger and impulsivity correlated signif icantly with suicide risk. High anger and impulsivity contributed syne rgistically to the suicide risk. Whereas anger was specific to both ps ychiatric groups, suicidals and nonsuicidals, only impulsivity was spe cific to the suicidal group. Conclusions: These findings may have impo rtant implications for therapists and primary prevention workers, and may pave the way for the recognition of risk factors and for effective intervention in patients with a high suicide risk.