Aj. Botsis et al., PARENTAL LOSS AND FAMILY VIOLENCE AS CORRELATES OF SUICIDE AND VIOLENCE RISK, Suicide & life-threatening behavior, 25(2), 1995, pp. 253-260
Seventy-nine psychiatric inpatients were administered a battery of psy
chometric instruments that obtained information about early parental l
oss, exposure to family violence, and behavioral problems in themselve
s and in their first-degree relatives. These variables were correlated
with suicide and violence risk measures. Suicide risk significantly c
orrelated with all family variables whereas violence risk correlated w
ith behavioral problems both in oneself and in one's first-degree rela
tives. Moreover, suicidal and/or violent patients had experienced mate
rnal loss significantly more frequently than the nonsuicidal/nonviolen
t patients. In the suicidal/violent group, age of patient at death of
parents was significantly lower than in the nonsuicidal/nonviolent gro
up. Finally, family violence was significantly correlated with behavio
ral problems in self and in first-degree relatives. Findings are inter
preted according to the authors' theoretical model of aggression regul
ation.