To evaluate whether most suicidal individuals perceive life as negative and death as positive, evaluations of the semantic differential Evaluative, Activity, and Potency factor ratings of these concepts were gathered from groups of high, medium, and low lethality of suicidal-intent individuals. In addition, semantic distance scores between the 2 concepts were computed. It was found that only the seriously suicidal perceived life in a negative manner and death as attactive. The reverse was true for the less seriously self-destructive groups. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.
