Biomedical subjects
M David Rudd
Publications and source records attributed to M David Rudd.
The incremental validity of passive-aggressive personality symptoms rivals or exceeds that of other personality symptoms in suicidal outpatients.
We examined the incremental validity of passive-aggressive and other personality symptoms, by determining personality syndromes' ability to account for unique variance in distress and impairment as indexed by several Axis I-related symptoms. Two hundred fifty young adults, referred for suicidal behavior or ideation, completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (Millon, 1983) as well as several other symptom measures. The personality syndromes varied considerably in their ability to account for unique variance in Axis I-related symptoms. Several syndromes, including schizoid, schizotypal, and compulsive symptoms, showed relatively low incremental validity, whereas the incremental validity of passive-aggressive symptoms exceeded all others. The criterion of incremental validity represents an inclusive and persuasive means to evaluate personality disorder validity. On this criterion, passive-aggressive symptoms display high validity, and passive-aggressive personality disorder, in some form, may deserve inclusion on Axis II of future editions of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association).
Intensity and duration of suicidal crises vary as a function of previous suicide attempts and negative life events.
Borrowing from past conceptual work on the unique characteristics of multiple suicide attempters, as well on the effect of previous suicidal and depressive experience on later functioning, the authors hypothesized that negative events would be related to intensity of suicidal crises among never- and first-attempters but not among multiple attempters and that negative events would be related to duration of suicidal crises among multiple attempters but not among never- and first-attempters. Data on past suicide history, negative life events, and clinician- and self-rated suicidal symptoms were collected on 326 suicidal patients, 249 of whom were available at 1-month follow-up. Findings conformed to prediction. Previous suicidal experience alters the parameters of current suicidal crises. Implications of these findings for suicide risk and clinical assessment and management are discussed.