Characteristics of schizophrenic patients with a history of suicide attempt

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the suicide attempt history among schizophrenic patients and compare their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with schizophrenic patients without a history of suicide attempt. METHOD Sixty schizophrenic patients according to DSM-IV criteria were included in the study. Half of the patients were in acute phase and receiving inpatient treatment, while the other half were in stable phase and outpatients. The sample was subdivided into two subsamples according to the presence/absence of lifetime suicidal attempts. RESULTS History of suicide attempt was found in 27 (45%) of the patients. The rate of having suicidal ideation, depression, paranoid type schizophrenia and first-degree relatives with psychiatric disorder was high among the group with suicide attempt history. Depression and insight scores were high and PANSS Negative symptoms subscale score was low among the patients with suicide attempt history. There were no significant differences between the two groups according to the scores of PANSS Positive symptoms and General Psychopathology subscales. CONCLUSION The high rate of suicide attempt history in our sample suggests that risk of suicide has to be determined and protective measures have to be taken while planning inpatient and outpatient treatment of these patients. Suicide attempt history is a risk factor for suicide ideation and is also related to depressive symptoms and high insight score and low negative symptoms score.