Hostility and deliberate self-poisoning

Abstract

Patients admitted to hospital following deliberate self-poisoning have been shown to have high levels of hostility, but the exact role of hostility in self-poisoning is not clear. It was hypothesized that those subjects with marked depression would have high intro-punitive scores whereas those deliberately poisoning themselves who did not have marked depression would have high extra-punitive scores. Seventy young adults admitted to hospital following deliberate self-poisoning completed the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire and half of these subjects had an identifiable depressive syndrome. Very high intro-punitive scores were found in the depressed subjects but high extra-punitive scores were found in all deliberate self-poisoning subjects irrespective of depression. This suggests that extra-punitiveness might distinguish self-poisoners from other psychiatric patients. Within the self-poisoning group, high intro-punitive scores were associated with greatest suicidal intent but further studies are needed to see if these are an aspect of the depression or part of the personality.