Psychobiological concomitants of history of suicide attempts among violent offenders and impulsive fire setters

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Jul;46(7):604-6. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810070030004.

Abstract

Psychobiological data on 58 violent offenders and impulsive fire setters were analyzed for associations with history of suicide attempts. Subjects with a history of suicide attempts serious enough to require an admission to a medical facility had significantly lower mean cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol concentrations than subjects who had not made such attempts. A linear discriminant function analysis based on psychobiological and behavioral variables correctly classified 79% of the subjects according to the suicide attempt history positive and negative outcomes.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Criminal Psychology*
  • Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Firesetting Behavior / blood
  • Firesetting Behavior / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Firesetting Behavior / diagnosis*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glycols / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Humans
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Impulsive Behavior / blood
  • Impulsive Behavior / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Impulsive Behavior / diagnosis*
  • Male
  • Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Probability
  • Suicide, Attempted / psychology*
  • Violence*

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Glycols
  • Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid