Stress in the lives of parasuicides

Abstract

A study of the nature and extent of the relationship between life stresses and parasuicides (“attempted suicide”) was carried out in Edinburgh. Subjects were 100 male parasuicides equally divided between young (under 25) and old (over 40) and between manual and non-manual groups. A similar number of individually matched controls were also used. Data was gathered on recent life events, hostility, depression and felt dissatisfaction as well as the demographic variables already mentioned. Results indicated that parasuicides had experienced far more life stresses in the year preceeding their act than had the controls and this held true for both young and old, manual and non-manual groups. Further analysis revealed that unpleasant life changing events occurred with greater frequency among the parasuicides than the controls whereas pleasant events occurred with similar frequency in both groups. Two hypotheses concerning the nature of the relationship between life stress and parasuicide were tested by comparing the groups on the frequency of occurrence of events within and beyond their control. It was found that both types of event were more common in the parasuicide than the control group thus giving support to the hypothesis that a high rate of life stress predisposes a person towards parasuicide. Only in the manual working class group was life stress related to hostility and depression, and it was suggested that this may account for some of the differential parasuicide rates between social classes. The same held true, to a lesser extent of young parasuicides as compared to old and again it was noted that young people have the higher parasuicide rates.