BIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF DELIBERATE SELF-HARM BEHAVIOR - A STUDY OF ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN PARASUICIDE

Clinical, electroencephalographic and biochemical variables were measu red in 40 patients who attempted suicide and 27 age-matched controls. Patients had significantly higher scores for depression, hopelessness, neuroticism and psychoticism and lower scores for extraversion than c ontrols. They also had significantly lower contingent negative variati on (CNV), higher postimperative negative variation and lower whole blo od serotonin values than controls. Within the patient group, vulnerabi lity to parasuicide, as determined by previous or repeated acts of del iberate self-harm, was associated with higher scores for hopelessness and suicide intent, lower scores for extraversion and decreased CNV. F actor analysis revealed significant correlations between psychological variables and auditory evoked potential amplitudes for the vulnerable group. A profile of variables associated with increased risk of self- harm in patients presenting with attempted suicide is proposed from ou r data.