Psychometric characteristics of the self-expression and control scale in a sample of recurrent suicide attempters

The Self-Expression and Control Scale (SECS), constructed to investigate the role of anger expression and anger control in somatic and mental diseases, was administered to patients with recurrent suicide attempts. The psychometric properties of the SECS proved to be highly acceptable and comparable with the psychometric properties of the instrument administered to a community sample. Suicide attempters scored higher on trait anger, higher on the internalization of anger and lower on both control of the internalization and the externalization of anger than controls in a community sample. Additionally, suicide attempters with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder scored higher on the externalization of anger, and lower on both control of the internalization and the externalization of anger than suicide attempters without this diagnosis. Finally, the subgroup of patients with a psychiatric diagnosis of a ''recurrent deliberate self-harm'' scored higher on the internalization of anger than other patients with recurrent suicide attempts. These results show that the SECS is able to make a distinction between several subgroups of suicide attempters, and between suicide attempters and persons in a community sample with respect to the expression and control of anger. As such, the SECS can give indication for optimal psychotherapeutic treatment. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.