Depressed inpatients, electrodermal reactivity, and suicide - a study about psychophysiology of suicidal behavior

This study deals with the psychophysiological (electrodermal reactivity in a habituation experiment, habituation score) basis of suicidal behaviour. I t shows habituation data of 30 suicides with violent method compared to age - and sex-matched control groups with different suicidal expressions, on a large database of a total sample of 504 depressed inpatients. The major finding of a significantly reduced electrodermal reactivity (habi tuation score) in suicidal action versus suicidal thinking confirms early r esults but in a comprehensive large sample. Also, it confirms our clinical hypothesis of a biological basis of suicidal action, specially in suicidal acts with violent methods.