Risk factors for suicide attempts in people with depressive disorders treated in secondary health care Background: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in people with suicidal behavior. The knowledge of its risk factors should help to design preventive strategies. Aim: To describe suicidal behavior and risk factors for attempted suicide in people with major depressive disorders (MDD). Material and Methods: A 12-month follow-up study was conducted in 112 outpatients at three psychiatric care centers of Ñuble, Chile, with baseline and quarterly assessments. Demographic, psychosocial and clinical factors as potential risk factors of suicide attempts, were assessed. A clinical interview with DSM-IV diagnostic criteria checklist, Hamilton Depression Scale and the List of Threatening Experiences and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were applied. Results: Sixty seven percent of participants had suicidal ideation and 43.8% had attempted suicide. Suicide risk was significantly higher in participants with a single major depressive episode (odds ratio [OR] = 3.98; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1,29-12,32 p = 0.02) and those with previous suicide attempts (OR = 13.15; 95% CI = 3,87-44.7 p < 0.01). Young age, not having a partner, being unemployed, having a severe major depressive episode, having psychotic symptoms, having a personality disorder and being devoid of medical illness increased the risk of suicide attempts, but they did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Significant risk factors should be specially considered when designing suicide preventive strategies in patients with MDD.

artículo de investigación rev Med chile 2017; 145: 335-343 Características clínicas del trastorno depresivo mayor en tratamiento en el nivel secundario de atención (Rev Med Chile 2017; 145: 335-343)

Background The knowledge of predictive factors in depression should help to deal with the disease. Aim To assess potential predictors of remission of major depressive disorders (MDD) in secondary care and to propose a predictive model. Material and Methods A 12 month follow-up study was conducted in a sample of 112 outpatients at three psychiatric care centers of Chile, with baseline and quarterly assessments. Demographic, psychosocial, clinical and treatment factors as potential predictors, were assessed. A clinical interview with the checklist of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, the Hamilton Depression Scale and the List of Threatening Experiences and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were applied. Results The number of stressful events, perceived social support, baseline depression scores, melancholic features, time prior to beginning treatment at the secondary level and psychotherapeutic sessions were included in the model as predictors of remission. Sex, age, number of previous depressive episodes, psychiatric comorbidity and medical comorbidity were not significantly related with remission. Conclusions This model allows to predict depression score at six months with 70% of accuracy and the score at 12 months with 72% of accuracy.