Moral judgments and implicit associations with "life" and "death" at suicidal risk

Suicide can be considered as a decision-making influenced by both rational reasoning, and beliefs, moral principles and implicit preferences. Objectives: To investigate the connection between moral “personal" decisions and implicit associations with "death" and "life" in healthy people and clinic patients from the suicidal risk group. Method: 60 healthy subjects and 34 clinic patients with suicidal risk were examined. We used "Moral dilemmas" (proposed by J.D. Greene and translated into Russian), modified IAT (Implicit Associations Test) and the questionnaire SCL-90. Results: A stronger association of the self with "death" for a group with suicidal risk is shown (positive IAT-effect in the norm group - 15%, in group with suicidal risk - 32%). The degree of severity of suicidal intentions (SCL_suicide parameter) significantly correlates with the shift of IAT-effect (stronger association with death) (r =.499, p