Differentiating multiple vs single lifetime suicide attempters with bipolar disorders: A retrospective study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Bipolar disorder (BD) carries a significantly elevated suicide risk (20-30 times higher than the general population).
• Previous suicide attempts (SAs) are a strong predictor of future attempts and suicide mortality in psychiatric patients.
• Limited data exists on the specific characteristics of bipolar patients with multiple suicide attempts (MSAs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and compare the socio-demographic and clinical profiles of bipolar disorder patients with a history of multiple suicide attempts (MSAs) versus single suicide attempts (SSA).

Main Methods:

• A sample of 354 bipolar patients was screened for previous suicide attempts (SAs).
• Ninety-five patients with a history of SAs were identified.
• Socio-demographic and clinical variables were compared between patients with MSAs and SSA.

Main Results:

• Bipolar patients with MSAs exhibited longer illness duration (26.9 vs 21.2 years) compared to those with SSA.
• Patients with MSAs were more likely to live alone (38.5% vs 17.2%) and have multiple psychiatric comorbidities (39.3% vs 17.5%).
• Substance ingestion was a common method for both groups, but more frequent in the MSAs group (78.6% vs 47.2%).

Conclusions:

• Bipolar disorder patients with multiple suicide attempts present with distinct socio-demographic and clinical characteristics compared to those with single attempts.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings and inform targeted interventions for high-risk individuals.