Depression and attempted suicide: a comparative study.

The Levine-Pilowsky depression questionnaire was used to compare the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of depression in 176 patients admitted to a general hospital following a suicide attempt and 65 psychiatric inpatients with a diagnosis of major affective disorder. The study showed that despite significant age and sex differences there was a striking similarity between the groups on all measures of depression. Diagnostic and therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed, and further research directions are suggested.