Comparing Suicide Risk Factors Among Individuals with a History of Aborted, Interrupted, and Actual Suicide Attempts

Recent standardized nomenclature has suggested distinctions among aborted, interrupted, and actual suicide attempts. This study examined differences in self-reported symptoms among individuals with a history of aborted, interrupted, and actual suicide attempts. 167 young adults with a history of suicidality completed self-report measures of suicide attempt history and current symptoms, a clinical interview assessing past suicidal behavior, and a pain tolerance task. Only 78.8% of participants who initially reported a suicide attempt history were classified as suicide attempters following the clinical interview. Individuals who reported only aborted attempts during the clinical interview reported less severe clinical symptoms than those reporting a history of at least one actual attempt. Individuals with a history of actual suicide attempts may represent a more clinically severe group than those with a history of aborted attempts only.