Citation

Pompili M, Iliceto P, Luciano D, Innamorati M, Serafini G, Del Casale A, Tatarelli R, Girardi P, Lester D. Riv. Psichiatr. 2011; 46(1): 24-30.

Affiliation

Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Function, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. maurizio.pompili@uniroma1.it

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

21443138

Abstract

The present study was designed to explore psychopathological correlates of self-deception in clinical and nonclinical individuals to ascertain whether self-deception was associated with higher hopelessness, a proxy of suicide risk. The patients were 58 consecutive psychiatric patients (30 men, 28 women) admitted to the Sant'Andrea Hospital's psychiatric ward in Rome. Controls were composed of a sample recruited from the general population (62 men and 80 women). All the participants completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding-6 Form 40A (BIDR). More than 55% of the patients had BHS scores of 9 or higher indicating severe hopelessness, while only 32% of the control subjects reported scores of 9 or higher on the BHS (p < .01). Subjects with BHS scores of 9 or higher (compared to subjects with lower scores) had lower scores on the self-deceptive enhancement dimension of the BIDR, and were also more likely to be unemployed or retired. Self-deception may be a coping response to stressful live events. Disruption of such coping mechanism may indeed increase suicide risk as individuals do not want to face self-awareness and get close to a highly negative self.

Language: en