Thresholds and tolerance of physical pain in suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents

J Consult Clin Psychol. 1997 Aug;65(4):646-52. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.65.4.646.

Abstract

It was hypothesized that suicidal inpatient adolescents (n = 38) will exhibit a higher tolerance for physical pain than nonsuicidal inpatients (n = 29) and control participants (n = 34). Participants provided self-reports of hopelessness, dissociation, suicidal tendencies, depression, and anxiety and were administered a series of thermal pain stimuli by means of a Thermal Sensory Analyzer (TSA). The suicidal participants significantly differed from the 2 controls in pain thresholds and tolerance and in most self-report measures, even after controlling for motivation, medication, diagnosis, and length of hospitalization. Significant correlations were found between pain measures and self-report measures. The results were discussed in terms of the role that body experiences play in suicidal behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent, Hospitalized / psychology*
  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Escape Reaction / physiology*
  • Female
  • Hot Temperature / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pain / psychology*
  • Pain Threshold / psychology
  • Regression Analysis
  • Suicide / psychology*
  • Suicide, Attempted / psychology