Rates and correlates of suicide attempts in first-admission psychotic patients

The relationship of attempted suicide to demographic characteristics, current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, clinical history, and current symptoms was assessed in a sample of 184 recently hospitalized psychotic patients. Forty-three patients (23%) had an attempt history, and 28 (15% of sample; 65% of attempters) made an attempt during the episode for which they were hospitalized. Demographic characteristics did not distinguish attempters from nonattempters. Variables significantly associated with having ever attempted suicide were current diagnosis of unipolar major depressive disorder but not bipolar; lifetime major depressive episode; a history characterized by a less acute onset, lower pre-admission psychosocial functioning, and episodes of physical violence; and a symptom picture characterized by greater depression, hopelessness, negative symptoms, hallucinations and less thought disorder. Those with a current attempt had significantly higher rates of lifetime history of major depression and less physical violence than those with past attempts only. The potential importance of the data for predicting future suicidal acts is discussed.