The Psychopathology of Suicide: A Clinical Model Approach

Abstract

The author hypothesizes that certain types of persons at high risk for suicide constitute definable clinical models, that the process of arriving at a suicidal outcome involves elements unique to each model, and that these elements can be considered manifestations of psychopathology. This approach is investigated using two models: "Males Under Forty" and "Stable with Forced Change." The results indicate statistically reliable differences between the models in the distributions of estimated risks for persons who subsequently committed suicide compared with those who did not. The implications of the associated highrisk variables as reflections of psychopathologic processes are considered.