ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to test the efficacy of the theory of planned behavior in the domain of parasuicide and hence its efficacy as a potential screening tool. It examines whether anticipated affect and moral norms contribute additional variance to the prediction of behavioral intentions. The theory of planned behavior extends the theory of reasoned action by including measures of perceived behavioral control. In contrast, attitudes and self-efficacy were the dominant predictors of behavioral intention, and might therefore provide useful strategies for intervention. Both self-efficacy and attitudes are rooted in behavioral decision-making insofar as they are determined by beliefs concerning the likelihood of certain outcomes. The data indicate that parasuicides differed significantly from hospital controls on anticipated affect and self-efficacy, such that parasuicides were more likely to rate that self-harm would improve their mood, and that they felt confident in their ability to harm themselves. There were significant positive attitude-intention and self-efficacy-intention correlations but not so for subjective norm and intention.
