title: Psychosocial and psychiatric characteristics of suicide completers with psychiatric treatment before death: a psychological autopsy study of 76 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was conducted to examine differences in psychosocial and psychiatric characteristics between suicide completers with and without a history of psychiatric treatment within the year before death, using a psychological autopsy method.
  
  
  METHODS
  A semi-structured interview was administered by a psychiatrist and other mental health professionals for the closest bereaved of 76 suicide completers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicide completers with a history of psychiatric treatment (n = 38) were significantly younger than those without (n = 38) (P < 0.01), and a significantly higher proportion of cases in the treatment group were estimated to be suffering from schizophrenia. Further, in 57.9% of the treatment group, the fatal suicidal behavior involved overdose with prescribed psychotropic drugs. In addition, female suicide completers in the treatment group were more likely to have a history of self-harm or non-fatal suicidal behavior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many suicide completers who received psychiatric treatment were young adults. It was common for suicide completers to overdose on prescribed drugs as a supplementary means of suicide, and many experienced self-harming behavior before death. In addition, a higher proportion of the treatment cases suffered from schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan. hirokawa-s@ncnp.go.jp
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yotaro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitani
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akazawa
authors.forename: Yoshitomo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kameyama
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeshima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs