SELF-REPRESENTATION OF SUICIDAL ADOLESCENTS

This study focused on the self-representations of suicidal adolescents . Twenty-six Israeli suicidal inpatients, 24 nonsuicidal inpatients, a nd 24 control participants completed scales on suicidal tendencies, th e hedonic value of self-representations, the complexity (differentiati on, integration) of these self-representations, and the discrepancies among self domains (actual, ideal, ought). Suicidal adolescents showed more negative self-representations, a less differentiated and less in tegrated organization of self-attributes, and more discrepancies betwe en the 3 assessed domains of the self than did control participants. I n addition, compared with psychiatric nonsuicidal participants, suicid al adolescents showed a less complex organization of self-attributes a nd a higher discrepancy between ideal self and ought self. Results wer e discussed in terms of the vulnerable self of suicidal adolescents, c haracterized by uneven processing of positive and negative information , confusion, and simplicity.