Dissociative tendencies in suicidal, depressed, and normal adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between suicidal tendencies and dissociative tendencies. Suicidal, depressed nonsuicidal, and normal adolescents (n = 72, mean of ages M = 16.92, SD = 1.04) who participated in the study completed a suicidal tendencies scale regarding four types of factors: attraction to and repulsion by life and attraction to and repulsion by death. In addition, the subjects answered a dissociation tendency scale with three factors addressing affective, control, and cognitive dissociation. A one-way MANOVA showed that the only factor of dissociation (control) distinguished between the suicidal group on the one hand, and the depressed and normal groups on the other hand. The factors of affect distinguished between the suicidal and depressed groups on one hand, and the normal group on the other. There was no difference among the groups with regard to the factor of cognition. There were also more significant correlations among the four suicide factors and dissociation factors in the suicidal group than in the two other groups. The results were discussed in terms of the possible role of dissociative tendencies (especially that of control) as a unique factor characteristic in suicidal behavior.