Readjustment, Desirability, Expectedness, Mastery and Outcome Dimensions of Life Stress Suicide Attempt and Auto-Accident

One hundred and fifty suicide at tempters, 100 auto-accident drivers and 200 controls were compared using recent life event stress dimensions of readjustment, desirability, expectedness, mastery and outcome. Each of the 13 weighted (LCU ratings according to modified SRRS) and unweighted measures markedly differentiated between attempters and controls, and attempters and drivers. Although the accident sample also was identified from the controls, the differences were marginal if suspected autocide attempters were excluded from the sample. Event undesirability and outcome undesirability measures were slightly superior, although the separating capacity was the same order of magnitude for each of the 13 scales. The weighted SRRS versions did not add any effective information in identifying the different samples.