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Suicide among subjects with personality disorders
E T Isometsä1, M M Henriksson, M E Heikkinen
1Department of Mental Health, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Suicide victims with personality disorders often had depression or substance use disorders. Cluster B personality disorders were linked to higher rates of substance use and prior suicide attempts, unlike Cluster C.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Forensic Science
Background:
- Limited psychological autopsy studies exist for suicide in personality disorder populations.
- Specificity of suicide characteristics in individuals with personality disorders remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific characteristics of suicide among individuals with personality disorders.
- To compare suicide victims with personality disorders to those without.
Main Methods:
- A random sample of 229 Finnish suicide victims underwent psychological autopsy.
- Diagnoses were made using DSM-III-R criteria, focusing on Axis II personality disorders (Clusters A, B, C).
- Individuals with Cluster B and C personality disorders were compared to matched controls without personality disorders.
Main Results:
- All suicide victims with personality disorders had comorbid Axis I diagnoses, primarily depressive or substance use disorders (95%).
- Cluster B personality disorder victims showed higher rates of substance use disorders (79% vs. 40%) and previous suicide attempts (70% vs. 37%).
- Cluster B victims had fewer Axis III physical disorders (29% vs. 50%); Cluster C victims showed no significant differences from controls.
Conclusions:
- Suicide victims with personality disorders frequently presented with comorbid depressive or substance use disorders.
- Cluster B personality disorders were associated with distinct suicide characteristics, unlike Cluster C.