Attempted suicide predicts suicide risk in mood disorders

Abstract

Suicide risk was studied in a sample of 346 mood disorder inpatients, 92 of whom were admitted after a current suicide attempt. The overall suicide mortality after a mean observation period of 6 years was 8%. The potential of attempted suicide to predict suicide risk in hospitalized patients with mood disorders was studied by survival analysis after subgrouping on the basis of whether a current suicide attempt had occurred or not. The suicide risk the first year after attempting suicide was 12% (11/92), compared with 2% (4/254) in the mood disorder subgroup with no current suicide attempt. The long-range suicide risk after a current suicide attempt in depression was 15% (14/92) as compared with 5% (13/254) among those without a current suicide attempt. It is concluded that a current suicide attempt in mood disorder inpatients predicts suicide risk particularly within the first year and should be taken very seriously.

Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in bipolar disorder type I: an update for the clinician

“…reported completed suicide rates of 15% for recent suicide attempters and 5% for non-attempters in patients with mood disorders. 43 Studies of completed suicides have shown that more than 50% of suicide completers had a previous attempt. 37,44 Tsai et al conducted a chart review in a sample of 125 bipolar patients who died from suicide and found that 51.2% of them had previous attempts, especially in the first seven years of disease (at least 1 suicide attempt in the previous seven years before the completion).…”

Suicidal Ideation and Attempts Among Psychiatric Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

“…In several earlier studies, as risk factors for completed suicide in MDD have been identified to include among others: a history of previous suicide attempts (Fawcett et al, 1987, Nordström et al, 1995Angst et al, 2005;Coryell & Young, 2005), male sex (Modestin & Kopp, 1988;Höyer et al, 2004), previous psychiatric hospitalizations (Modestin & Kopp, 1988;Höyer et al, 2004;Coryell & Young, 2005), hopelessness (Fawcett et al, 1987;Coryell & Young, 2005), suicidal ideation (Fawcett et al, 1987;Coryell & Young, 2005), comorbid substance use disorder (Fawcett et al, 1987;Dumais et al 2005), comorbid personality disorder (especially Cluster B) (Hansen et al, 2003;Dumais et al 2005), anxiety (Fawcett et al, 1987) and increasing age (Höyer et al, 2004). (Table 2).…”

Risk for suicidal behaviors associated with PTSD, depression, and their comorbidity in the U.S. Army

“…c Adjusted for age, gender, race, education, marital status, and rank. (Beck et al, 1999;Brown et al, 2000;Nordstrom et al, 1995). Therefore, past-year suicide ideation and attempts-as measured in this study-are an index of risk for future completed suicide as well as future suicide attempts.…”