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Suicide in Tourette's and Chronic Tic Disorders
Lorena Fernández de la Cruz1, Mina Rydell2, Bo Runeson3
1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm, Sweden.
Biological Psychiatry
|October 25, 2016
Summary
Individuals with Tourette
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Neuropsychiatric disorders are linked to increased suicide risk.
- Limited data exists on suicide risk in Tourette's and chronic tic disorders (TD/CTD).
Purpose of the Study:
- Quantify suicidal behavior risk in TD/CTD patients.
- Assess the impact of psychiatric comorbidities on suicide risk.
- Identify predictors of suicide in TD/CTD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Swedish National Patient Register (1969-2013) to identify 7736 TD/CTD cases.
- Employed a matched case-cohort design comparing patients to general population controls (1:10 ratio).
- Analyzed suicide risk using conditional logistic regressions and predictor identification via Cox regression models.
Main Results:
- TD/CTD patients showed significantly increased risk for suicide death (OR: 4.39) and suicide attempts (OR: 3.86).
- Risk remained substantial after adjusting for psychiatric comorbidities.
- Persistent tics and prior suicide attempts were strong predictors of suicide death (HR: 11.39 and HR: 5.65, respectively).
Conclusions:
- Tourette's and chronic tic disorders are associated with a significant suicide risk.
- Monitoring suicidal behavior is crucial for TD/CTD patients, especially those with persistent tics, prior attempts, or comorbidities.
- Developing targeted preventive and intervention strategies is essential.