title: Suicide attempts in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a single-center experience and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suicide is a global health issue, and an increase in suicide risk has been found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) when compared with the general population. However, only a few studies have described suicide attempts in patients with SLE in detail.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to describe the suicide attempts in patients with SLE in a tertiary hospital in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 8 patients with SLE, 7 women and 1 man, with 12 suicide attempts among them were identified among 2469 patients visiting a tertiary medical center in Taiwan, from March 1, 2003 to November 30, 2013. Their demographic data, lupus manifestations throughout their disease course, laboratory data, and details of their suicide attempts were retrospectively documented. We also searched the MEDLINE database and found 4 articles in English describing suicide attempts in 14 patients with SLE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the 8 patients with SLE in our hospital who attempted suicide was 33 years (range: 19-77 years). Neuropsychiatric SLE developed in 5 (63%) of these patients before the attempts, and psychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 5 (63%) of them. We also observed a high prevalence of neuropsychiatric SLE (71%) and psychiatric disorders (86%) in patients with SLE in the literature who had attempted suicide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that previous neuropsychiatric SLE and comorbid psychiatric disorders are prevalent in patients with SLE who attempt suicide. If a rheumatologist suspects that a patient with SLE has a psychiatric disorder, he or she should refer the patient to a psychiatrist.
authors: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (K-TT, C-WH, T-YH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC).
authors: Kuo-Tung
authors: KT
authors: Tang
authors: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (K-TT, C-WH, T-YH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC); School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC (C-WH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC).
authors: Chia-Wei
authors: CW
authors: Hsieh
authors: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (K-TT, C-WH, T-YH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC).
authors: Tsu-Yi
authors: TY
authors: Hsieh
authors: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (K-TT, C-WH, T-YH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC); School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC (C-WH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC); Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (J-LL); ?>College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (J-LL).
authors: Joung-Liang
authors: JL
authors: Lan
authors: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (K-TT, C-WH, T-YH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC); School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC (C-WH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC).
authors: Yi-Hsing
authors: YH
authors: Chen
authors: Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (K-TT, C-WH, T-YH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC); School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC (C-WH, J-LL, Y-HC, D-YC); Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (D-YC); Institute of Biomedical Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC (D-YC). Electronic address: dychen@vghtc.gov.tw.
authors: Der-Yuan
authors: DY
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D020945:Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult