title: Completed suicide in schizophrenia: evidence from a case-control study.
abstract: Suicide is the single major cause of death among patients with schizophrenia. Despite great efforts in the prevention of such deaths, suicide rates have remained alarming, pointing to the need for a better understanding of the phenomenon. The present sample comprised 20 male patients with schizophrenia who committed suicide and who were investigated retrospectively for a large number of characteristics. Controls were 20 living patients with schizophrenia. The results suggest that suicide attempts, hopelessness and self-devaluation were the three variables most strongly associated with completed suicide. However, a number of variables were identified which may constitute risk factors, some of which have not been identified in the past: agitation and motor restlessness (OR = 3.66; 95%CI = 0.95/14.02), self-devaluation (OR = 28.49; 95%CI = 3.15/257.40), hopelessness (OR = 51.00; 95%CI = 7.56-343.72), insomnia (OR = 12.66; 95%CI = 0.95/14.02), mental disintegration (OR = 3.66; 95%CI = 0.95/14.02), and suicide attempt (OR = 3.66; 95%CI = 1.40/114.41). Poor adherence to medications was also predictive of completed suicide in our sample of schizophrenia patients, primarily because the suicide victims showed very low adherence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy. maurizio.pompili@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grispini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innamorati
authors.forename: Fulvia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calandro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iliceto
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Pisa
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tatarelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000401:mortality*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000092864:Suicide Prevention