Role of the Big Five Personality Traits in Chemical Suicide Attempt

Suicide is a major public health problem with little information about the role of personality characteristics of people who chemically commit suicide. The present study aimed to investigate the role of personality traits in the chemical suicide attempters. In a case-control study, 100 patients with attempted suicide selected by convenience sampling were compared to 100 normal subjects as a control group selected by consecutive sampling in terms of personality traits using short form 5-factor questionnaire of NEO. Suicide attempters got significantly higher scores in neuroticism and also lower scores in extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (P<0.01) compared to normal individuals. Interaction effects of group membership by sex revealed that male suicide attempters had always higher neuroticism levels and lower extraversion and openness (P<0.05) compared to the other sex group. The findings accurately identified the basic personality dimensions influencing the antisocial phenomenon and provided approaches for prevention and treatment of suicide attempters.