Suicide and schizophrenia in Singapore--a fifteen year follow-up study

This is a prospective follow-up study of 482 schizophrenic patients. At the end of 15 years, 41 had died of suicide and 30 had died of natural causes, giving a suicide rate of 567 per 100,000 per year. Suicide patients were significantly younger and experienced less delusion at the time of their first presentation. There were otherwise no significant differences in the socio-demographic or clinical variables between the suicide group and the controls (surviving patients). Jumping from height was the commonest method of suicide and our rate of suicide for schizophrenia is comparable to those reported in the literature.