Resumo

HERRMANN, Fabio. The self-destructive gesture. Rev. bras. psicanál [online]. 2019, vol.53, n.4, pp. 25-47. ISSN 0486-641X.

The article is about the author's doctoral thesis, a study on the self-destructive gesture in patients that have tried suicide by ingesting corrosive agents, and therefore didn't succeed. It is about a research done at the beginning of the 70s, in two endoscopy clinics of a general hospital, where patients subject to the research, were being treated for the consequences caused by ingestions of corrosive agents. The author defines his research as 'study of a gesture, attempt for suicide, human freedom being expressed at its limit'. The study was performed through anamnestic psychiatric interviews and Rorschach study including 33 adult patients, all female. Five groups of suicide attempt were identified: a) due to consciousness disturbance (9% of the cases), b) due to mental disorder (18% of the cases, c) prevalence of impulsiveness (57% of the cases, d) prevalence of exhibitionism (6% of the cases), e) due to depression (9% of the cases). Among the conclusions taken from the study, the author highlights: 1) absence of non-pathological suicide attempt, which is probably why the study could be done through the patients' direct and careful assessment, 2) prevalence of attempt due to impulsiveness, which the author relates to the kind of attempt studied (ingestion of corrosive agents) that is considered a way to externalize the impulsive violence passing from thought to action, 3) because some levels of psychic disturbance were found in the cases studied, the author suggests that 'all suicide attempt must be considered 'pathological' for practical purposes, until proven not to be'.

Palavras-chave : self-destructive gesture; suicide attempt; clinical psychiatry; Psychoanalysis method.

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