[What are the characteristics of patients with bipolar disorder type I who attempt suicide?]

Suicide is a public health problem affecting majority of patients with psychiatric diseases, including bipolar disorder (BD). The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of suicide attempts (SAs) and to identify different factors associated with it in a population of patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD I). We conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive study of 150 patients. We used a fact sheet, questionnaires assessing affective temperaments, alcohol addiction and drug addiction. A comparison between suicidal (23,3%, n = 35) and non-suicidal (76,7%, n = 115) subjects enabled the identification of the following risk factors for suicide: cannabis addiction, addiction to psychotropic drugs, advanced age, a family history of BD, depression, SA and suicide deaths, a personal somatic history, a personality disorder associated, in particular, with histrionic personality, depressive temperament, a first thymic depressive episode, recurrent thymic episodes and long-term disease progression. Two protective factors were also identified: valproic acid and a higher number of siblings. In a multivariate study risk factors included: age, a family history of BD, a family history of SA and cannabis addiction. Particular attention should be given to determinants associated with suicidal behavior in BD I patients in order to adopt effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.