title: Relationship between Suicidality and Low Self-esteem in Patients with Schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low self-esteem is associated with suicide risk in the general psychiatric population. The aim of this study was to examine associations between suicidality and self-esteem in patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia were enrolled. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, including previous suicide attempt history, were assessed. Psychopathology, self-esteem, and self-perceived stigma were also measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Korean version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale (K-ISMI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total of 87 participants, 20 (23.0%) had attempted suicide. Patients with a history of suicide attempts had significantly higher scores on the BDI (p=0.036) and K-ISMI (p=0.009), and significantly lower scores on the SES (p=0.001). Analysis of covariance revealed that the SES scores were significantly lower in patients with a history of previous suicide attempts than in those with no history, after controlling for K-ISMI and BDI scores (p=0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low self-esteem appears to represent a psychological dimension that is closely related to suicide risk. Therefore, clinical attention should be paid to the evaluation and enhancement of low self-esteem in schizophrenia patients with suicidality. A longitudinal prospective study is required to ascertain whether low self-esteem leads suicide attempts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Taeyoung
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.|Gwangju Bukgu Community Mental Health Center, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.|Gwangju Bukgu Community Mental Health Center, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Ju-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Yeol
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Il-Seon
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoon
keywords: Depression; Schizophrenia; Self-esteem; Stigma; Suicide