Correlates of suicide attempt history in bipolar disorder: a stress-diathesis perspective.
OBJECTIVE
Distinguishing clinical characteristics of bipolar patients who have made a suicide attempt may help to identify at-risk individuals. We sought to identify such factors and to consider them within a stress-diathesis model of suicidal behavior.


METHODS
Patients with bipolar disorder (N = 96) were compared with respect to the presence or absence at baseline evaluation of a history of suicide attempt. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the unique associations of independent variables to history of a past suicide attempt.


RESULTS
The regression analysis showed that a history of suicide attempt in bipolar disorder was associated with greater recent suicidal ideation, more psychiatric hospitalizations, lifetime aggressive traits and an earlier age at onset of a first mood episode.


CONCLUSIONS
Aggressive traits and early treatment of mood disorders, especially major depressive episodes, are potential targets for suicide prevention in bipolar disorder.
Grunebaum
Michael F
MF
Department of Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. mfg14@columbia.edu
Ramsay
Sarah R
SR
Galfalvy
Hanga C
HC
Ellis
Steven P
SP
Burke
Ainsley K
AK
Sher
Leo
L
Printz
David J
DJ
Kahn
David A
DA
Mann
J John
JJ
Oquendo
Maria A
MA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003710:Demography; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires