This paper presents a detailed theoretical discussion of destructive narcissism in relation to Freud and Rosenfeld and later theorists. In destructive narcissism, the destructiveness is itself idealised and overrides "the vital functions which serve the purpose of self-preservation" (Freud, S., 1914, "On narcissism" S.E. 14: 87)--a feature which…

In the current study, momentary time sampling (MTS) and partial-interval recording (PIR) were compared to continuous-duration recording of stereotypy and to the frequency of self-injury during a treatment analysis to determine whether the recording method affected data interpretation. Five previously conducted treatment analysis data sets were…

Laws in the UK and the USA protect college students with disabilities from discrimination. The laws of both nations are complex and require institutions of higher education to accommodate qualified students. This article examines the requirements of both nations' laws with respect to the kinds of inquiries that may be made of students with…

Suicide by self-poisoning is a prevalent cause of death worldwide. A substantial proportion of individuals who poison themselves come into contact with medical services before they die. Our focus in the current study was the medical management of drug self-poisoning in industrialized countries and its possible contribution to suicide prevention.…

Despite the fact that self-injurious behaviors are gaining increased attention in the schools, little is actually known about prevalence, treatment considerations, and school counselor training issues. This article will present the results from a national survey of American School Counselor Association (ASCA) members regarding their perceptions of…

The impact of the Texas State Lottery on gambling patterns, expenditures on gambling, and the prevalence of problem gambling in Texas is assessed. Background and methodology is presented in Part 1. Data are compared with a survey run prior to the introduction of the first state lottery. Part 2, "Gambling among Texas Adults," includes…

Designed as a guide for the prevention of suicide and other self-destructive behavior, this booklet is divided into two main sections. Outlining the problem of suicide in the nation, the first section contains an introduction to the topic of suicide with statistical information, then eight segments deal with such subjects as facing the reality of…

Surveys the literature on youth suicide (ages 15-24) for the period 1980-1985, emphasizing general determinants of suicide, predictors in the form of psychological tests, precipitating events, and signs that may signify impending attempts at self-destruction. Suggestions for prevention, and limitations of research on suicide are offered. (Author)

Individuals admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit for an immediately preceding parasuicide, with current suicidal ideation, or for nonsuicidal psychiatric reasons, were compared with each other on the types of problems they reported as being most significant in their current lives. Parasuicidal patients reported problems with significantly…

Psychiatric inpatients (N=59) were interviewd concerning psychological and environmental events that occurred in the 24 hours prior to their hospitalization. Suicide attempters were more likely to have used alcohol or marijuana and less likely to have contacted a health care professional than suicide ideators, even when past history of suicide…

Assessed 50 habitually aggressive men for self-directed (SDAB) and other-directed (ODAB) aggressive behavior. SDAB subjects engaged in more frequent verbal aggression, physical aggression against objects, and physical aggression against others, and more severe verbal and physical aggression against others than did exclusively ODAB subjects.…

Gender and history of suicidality were related to current symptoms of depression, reasons for living, and reported self-destructive and life-threatening behavior among college students (N=242). Several measures intended to identify persons at risk were studied. Findings are related to cultural and gender specific expectations. Implications for…

Comments on fiction writer Derek Humphry's short story "Final Exit," in which an elderly couple commits double suicide. Notes the story could serve as a suicide manual for the nonterminal elderly. Asserts that fiction highlights the ambiguities surrounding elder suicide and serves as a reminder to view elder suicide in the context of…

Some individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB) also exhibit self-restraint. In the present study, a series of three functional analyses were conducted to determine the variables that maintained a participant's SIB, one without restraint items available, one with a preferred and effective form of self-restraint (an airplane pillow)…

We examined the use of noncontingent reinforcement to decrease self-injury and increase bite acceptance in a child who exhibited food refusal. First, a brief functional analysis suggested that self-injury was maintained by escape from food presentation. Next, we evaluated an intervention that involved noncontingent access to a video during feeding…