Objective: This study was designed to assess the association between personality disorders, personality traits, impulsive violence, and suicide.
Method: Personality disorders and traits in 43 adolescent suicide victims and 43 community controls were assessed from the parents, using semistructured interviews and self-report forms.
Results: Probable or definite personality disorders were more common in suicide victims than in controls, particularly Cluster B (impulsive-dramatic) and C type (avoidant-dependent) disorders. Suicide victims also showed greater scores on lifetime aggression, even after controlling for differences in psychopathology between suicides and controls.
Conclusions: Personality disorders and the tendency to engage in impulsive violence are critical risk factors for completed suicide.