Introduction: Suicidal behaviours are internationally considered as a serious health problem and, consequently, considerable efforts are being made in the search for factors related with this behaviour.
Objectives: To determine if there are any differences between those who attempted suicide and those with suicidal ideation.
Patients and method: During 1997-98, we interviewed a total of 134 patients hospitalised due to attempted suicide (n = 49), suicidal ideation (n = 38), and a control group made up of other psychiatric patients (n = 47) in the Psychiatric Unit of the Hospital de Jove (Gijón). All patients completed the "Protocol for Investigation of Suicidal Behaviour" which contains different sociodemographic and clinical variables, and the Scale for Suicide Ideation, Hopelessness Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Adult form.
Results: No significant differences were found in sociodemographic or clinical variables between the suicidal ideation and attempted suicide groups. Only the intensity of hopelessness as measured on the Beck scale (greater in the suicidal ideation group) and emotional instability in females (also greater in the suicidal ideation group) are the variables which differentiate those who present suicidal ideation and those who attempt suicide.