A case study to investigate personality factors prevalent in adolescents who have attempted suicide, admitted at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital

Abstract

This study sought to investigate personality factors prevalent in adolescents who have attempted suicide at the Chris Rani Baragwanath Hospital. The main objective was to identify personality factors associated with suicide attempt and to identify life stresses associated with adolescents suicide attempts. It was a case study, comprising of 20 male and female adolescent respondents. The respondents attended public or private schools. One of the respondents at the time of testing was not attending school. Home languages of the respondents were Afrikaans, Zulu, Tswana, South Sotho and North Sotho. Their ages ranged from 12 to 18 years. The High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) was used to assess the personality of the respondents. The instrument measures fourteen relatively independent personality dimensions. Firstly, the researcher conducted a pilot study to ensure that the respondents understood test items and to score the responses correctly. In the main study, services of a qualified psychometrist were enlisted in the administration together with a researcher. The researcher and assistant were available throughout the testing period to monitor and assist should there be a need. The test was administered on an individual basis. The findings agreed with the hypothesis of the study, that adolescent suicide attemptors were highly impulsive and angry people. The findings also revealed that the most common personality factors prevalent in the subjects appeared to be lack of self-control and low levels of intelligence. The least scored personality factors included proneness to guilt feelings, submissiveness, abstract thinking ability and social boldness. Recommendations made included programs like assertiveness training, communication skills, and conflict management.