Characterization of schizophrenic patients who commit suicide.
Twenty schizophrenic patients who committed suicide were compared with a randomly selected group and a sex-matched group of nonsuicidal schizophrenic patients and with a group of nonschizophrenic patients who committed suicide. The schizophrenic patients who committed suicide were more often men, and tended to be young, never married, non-Protestant, and white. They failed to communicate their suicidal intent directly, used highly lethal suicide methods, and tended not to have undergone stressful life events associated with their suicides. A thorough, case-by-case clinical assessment of potential suicidal ideation is essential with schizophrenic patients.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012067:Religion; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention