Recurrence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors during one year of follow-up: An exploratory study

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) include suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempt (SA) and completed suicide. We aimed to identify recurrence predictors of any type of STB, and separately for SA and SI, and to analyze the time until event. A 108-subject cohort presenting at Emergencies with STB was followed during one year. Recurrence risk factors were investigated by multiple Cox survival regressions. Within one year, 31.5%, 23.1% and 9.3% patients recurred with any STB, SA, and SI respectively. Most recurrences (~70%) occurred within the first 6 months. Seeking emergency psychiatric assistance for problems other than STB during follow-up was a common predictor for recurrence of any STB, and SA and SI specifically. Previous SA history and contact with psychiatry outpatient units during follow-up predicted both STB in general and SA in particular. A specific predictor for SA was hospitalization at index, while SI recurrence was associated to SI at index. These results highlight the importance of early intervention and multidisciplinary follow-up considering concurrent psychosocial or adaptive problems. A careful exploration at Emergencies is needed to target potential predictors.