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Polypharmacy and suicide attempts in bipolar disorder
Fernando Kratz Gazalle1, Pedro Curi Hallal, Juliana Tramontina
1Post-graduate Psychiatry Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Revista Brasileira De Psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999)
|April 17, 2007
Summary
Patients with bipolar disorder attempting suicide often use multiple medications. This suggests that increased drug combinations may indicate a more severe condition, highlighting the need for careful treatment monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex mental health condition.
- Suicide attempts are a significant concern in BD patient populations.
- Polypharmacy is common in managing BD, but its association with suicide risk is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between suicide attempts and the number of medications used by individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
- To explore patterns of drug combinations in this patient group.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 169 outpatients with bipolar disorder (diagnosed via DSM-IV criteria) was assessed.
- Data collected included demographics, medication use, suicide attempt history, and psychiatric comorbidities.
- The primary outcome measure was the quantity of psychotropic drugs prescribed.
Main Results:
- Nearly half of the patients (48.5%) had a history of suicide attempts.
- A high percentage (84%) were on more than one medication; 19% used over three drugs.
- A significant association was found between the number of suicide attempts and the use of multiple medications.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that the use of combination therapy in bipolar disorder may correlate with illness severity, indicated by factors like suicide attempt history.
- This association underscores the potential link between polypharmacy and the risk of suicide attempts in BD.
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