Suicide attempts in Chinese Han patients with schizophrenia: cognitive, demographic, and clinical variables

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lifetime suicide attempt rate, clinical characteristics and cognitive function of Chinese patients with chronic schizophrenia who had attempted suicide.

We collected data from 908 schizophrenia inpatients about suicide attempts through interviews with the patients and their families, as well as through medical records. All patients were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects, the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, and the Repeated Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status.

Of this sample, 97 (10.68%) had attempted suicide. Patients who had attempted suicide were younger, had longer illness duration, and more severe general psychopathology and depressive symptoms than those who had not. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that suicide attempts were correlated with age, smoking, and depression. No cognitive performance differences were observed between patients who had and had not attempted suicide.

In China, patients with chronic schizophrenia may have a higher prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts than the general population. Some demographic and clinical variables were related to suicide attempts in patients with chronic schizophrenia.