Suicidal intention, depression and anhedonia among suicide attempters

Background

Suicidal behaviour is widely accepted as part of the clinical phenomenology of depression. There is evidence that anhedonia is related to chronic suicide risk. The present study aims to examine possible relationships between suicidal intention and depression or/and anhedonia in suicide attempters.

Material and Methods

The sample consisted of 31 patients (female 77%) with a mean age of 34.1 (± 14.1) years, consecutively admitted to a general hospital, in Athens, after they attempted suicide. Suicidal intention was assessed by the Beck Suicide Intent Scale (SIS). Depression was assessed by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Anhedonia was measured using the item 8 (inability to feel) of the MADRS. For the statistical evaluation Sperman's rank correlations coefficients were used.

Results

The mean SIS score of the attempters was 12.9 (± 3.8) while the mean MADRS score was 35.1 (± 8.8) and the mean anhedonia score was 4.1 (± 0.9). We found significant correlations between mean SIS score and both MADRS score (r= 0.67, p < 0.01) and anhedonia score (r= 0.59, p < 0.01).

Discussion

The results of the study suggest that suicidal intention in suicide attempters is positively correlated to both depression and anhedonia.