Self-evaluation and subjective life expectancy among suicidal and nonsuicidal psychotic males.

Abstract

Self-evaluation and expectancy scales were administered to 96 psychotic males, and protocols were later divided into suicidal (N = 43) and nonsuicidal (N = 53) groups, on the basis of record information. Self-evaluation (SE) was relatively low for covertly suicidal subjects, but not for subjects who had made actual suicide attempts. Suicidal subjects did not have a shorter subjective life expectancy (SLE) than nonsuicidals, but SLE was directly associated with SE regardless of suicidal tendencies. Constricted, "work-only" future plans were associated with SE and SLE among suicidals only, suggesting that the content of the subjective future may mediate the relationship between SE and SLE in suicidal patients.