Dimensions of perfectionism, hopelessness, and attempted suicide in a sample of alcoholics

This study assessed whether specific dimensions of perfectionism and hopele ssness were elevated in individuals who had made a serious suicide attempt in comparison to individuals with no history of suicide attempts. A sample of 39 inpatients with alcoholism who had made a serious suicide attempt and a matched sample of 39 inpatients with alcoholism but no history of suicid e attempts completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Hopeless ness Scale, ratings of achievement and social hopelessness, and the Beck De pression Inventory. The attempter group had higher scores on socially presc ribed perfectionism, generalized hopelessness, achievement hopelessness, so cial hopelessness, and depression. A discriminant function analysis reveale d that depression, social hopelessness, socially prescribed perfectionism, and other-oriented perfectionism were unique discriminators of the suicide groups. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of social pers onality variables in attempted suicide.