COMPARISON OF PERSONALITY TRAITS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION IN SUICIDE ATTEMPTER AND CONTROL GROUP

Understanding risk factors for suicide attempts is important in preventing suicidal behavior. This study aimed to compare personality traits, social support, and religious orientation in suicide attempters and control group. In a case-control study, 120 suiside attempeters who referred to Shahid Madani hospital of Azarshahr town were compared with 140 control. They were selected using conveniennce sampling, and were matched by a number of demographic factors. Data were gathered using NEO Personality Inventory Revised (NEO-PI-R), sucial support scale and religious orientation, and were analyzed via logistic regression and T-test. Finding showed that suicide attempters revealed higher scores onneuroticism and lower scores on extraversion and conscientiousness compared with non-attempers. On the other hand, the experinced weak social support had external religious orientation. Also, logistic regression analyses demonstrated that suicide attempt was positively predicted by neuroticism, and negatively predicted by agreeableness, openness, family support, and friends’ support, and 27% of the variance related to suicide attempt is predicted by these variables. Personality traits, social support and religious orientation are considered as important risk factors for suicide attempt.