Introduction:

Intentional suicidal behavior is one of the most troubling and dangerous medical conditions in the world. It is presumed that for each self-inflicted death, about 20 suicide attempts occur.

Objective:

To identify the correlation between depression and personality traits in patients who have attempted suicide.

Materials and methods:

Cross-sectional correlational study involving 25 people aged between 18 and 40 who attempted suicide during 2014 and 2015 in Ibagué, Colombia. A sociodemographic data sheet, the "Big Five" questionnaire and the State-Trait Depression Inventory were used for the analysis.

Results:

Significant negative correlations are evident in the analyzed sample regarding the personality sub-dimension, the control of emotions and depression as a state, on the one hand, and between the same sub-dimension and dysthymia as a state, on the other. This suggests a lower emotional stability in the presence of depression as a state or as a trait. Other correlations identified refer to a moderate relation between the personality dimension, emotional stability and depression.

Conclusion:

The variables considered in this study (depression and emotional stability) are of great importance when designing preventive health actions.

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