Characteristics of HIV patients who attempt suicide.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the risk factors for suicidal behaviour in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients.


METHODS
HIV substance dependent positive patients who had attempted suicide were compared with HIV substance dependent positive patients who had never attempted suicide for suicide risk factors.


RESULTS
Among the 149 HIV positive patients examined almost half had attempted suicide. Significantly more HIV positive patients who had attempted suicide were female. Attempters were significantly younger than non-attempters. Significantly more of the attempters had a family history of suicidal behaviour. Attempters also reported significantly more childhood trauma, scored significantly higher for neuroticism, had experienced significantly more comorbidity with depression, and more of them had received antidepressant medication.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that both distal and proximal risk factors are involved in suicidal behaviour in HIV positive substance dependent patients.
Roy
A
A
Psychiatry Service 116A, Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Healthcare System, East Orange 07018, USA. alec.roy@med.va.gov
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000928:Antidepressive Agents