Ethnicity and suicide attempt: analysis in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: Evidence is mixed as to whether White Europeans are at a higher risk for suicide attempts or completions compared to other ethnic groups. The present analysis assessed whether risk for suicide attempt was associated with White European ethnicity in 907 subjects with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. METHODS: Subjects were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and ethnicity was determined by self-report. Subjects were recruited from psychiatric care centers in Toronto, Canada. Logistic regression correcting for clinical covariates like age, gender and diagnosis, was used in this study. RESULTS: We found no difference in suicide attempter status in white and non-white subjects who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. CONCLUSION: Our study does not support the evidence that White-European patients in North America are at higher risk for suicide attempt compared to non-European descent subjects. However, this result has to be replicated in larger studies in patients with these disorders

Understanding suicidal ideation in psychosis: findings from the Psychological Prevention of Relapse in Psychosis (PRP) trial

Objective: To examine the clinically important phenomenon of suicidal ideation in psychosis in relation to affective processes and the multidimensional nature of hallucinations and delusions. Method: In a cross-sectional study of 290 individuals with psychosis, the associations between level of suicidal ideation, affective processes, positive symptoms, clinical and demographic variables were examined. Results: Forty-one per cent of participants expressed current suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation was associated with depressed mood, anxiety, low self-esteem, negative illness perceptions, negative evaluative beliefs about the self and others and daily alcohol consumption. Frequency of auditory hallucinations and preoccupation with delusions were not associated with suicidal ideation; however, positive symptom distress did relate to suicidal thoughts. Conclusion: Affective dysfunction, including distress in response to hallucinations and delusions, was a key factor associated with suicidal ideation in individuals with psychotic relapse. Suicidal ideation in psychosis appears to be an understandable, mood-driven process, rather than being of irrational or 'psychotic' origi

Risk factors for suicide behaviors in the observational schizophrenia outpatient health outcomes (SOHO) study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To identify risk factors for suicide using data from a large, 3-year, multinational follow-up study of schizophrenia (SOHO study).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Baseline characteristics of 8,871 adult patients with schizophrenia were included in a logistic regression post-hoc analysis comparing patients who attempted and/or committed suicide during the study with those who did not.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>384 (4.3%) patients attempted or committed suicide. Completed suicides were 27 (0.3%). The significant risk factors for suicide behaviors were previous suicidality, depressive symptoms, prolactin-related adverse events, male gender and history of hospitalization for schizophrenia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In view of the observational design of the study and the post-hoc nature of the analysis, the identified risk factors should be confirmed by ad-hoc specifically designed studies.</p