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Prevention of suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder
Leonardo Tondo1,2,3, Gustavo H Vázquez2,4, Ross J Baldessarini1,2
1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Bipolar Disorders
|October 10, 2020
Summary
Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) face significantly higher suicide risks compared to the general population. Further research is urgently needed to develop effective suicide prevention treatments for BD patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Mental Health Research
- Suicidology
Background:
- Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with excess mortality, primarily due to comorbid medical conditions and suicide.
- Suicide remains a critical and challenging aspect of managing bipolar disorder.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current status of suicide in bipolar disorder.
- To explore possibilities for limiting suicidal risk in BD patients.
Main Methods:
- A semi-systematic review of recent research on suicide in bipolar disorder was conducted.
Main Results:
- Suicide rates in BD are substantially higher (over 200/100,000 annually for adults) than in the general population (11/100,000).
- Key risk factors include prior suicide attempts, depression, mood instability, impulsivity, and substance abuse.
- Current suicide-preventing treatments for BD are underdeveloped, with lithium showing the strongest evidence.
Conclusions:
- Suicide is a primary clinical challenge in bipolar disorder care.
- Enhanced understanding of risk/protective factors and close patient monitoring can mitigate suicidal risk.
- Urgent need for ethically sound research into novel treatments for suicide prevention in BD.
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