1 in 10 Suicide Deaths Linked With Schizophrenia
Despite accounting for just 1% of the population, people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders represent nearly 12% of people who die by suicide, according to a study published online in Schizophrenia Research.
“Among people who died by suicide, having a diagnosis of schizophrenia is clearly over-represented,” said study first author Juveria Zaheer, MD, a clinician scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dr. Zaheer and colleagues reached the findings after evaluating data for all people who died by suicide in Ontario between 2008 and 2012.
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Of the 5650 suicides, 663—or 11.7%—were completed by people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified, according to the study. When researchers looked at demographic and other characteristics of people who died by suicide, they found people with schizophrenia were more likely to be younger. One in 5 were between age 25 and 34, compared with just 1 in 10 among those without schizophrenia.
“This is shocking,” said Dr. Zaheer. “We need to emphasize the importance of assessing the risk of suicide in younger patients with schizophrenia, particularly early in the course of illness.”
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People with schizophrenia who died by suicide tended to be poorer, urban, and more clinically complex compared with others who died by suicide. They also had more contact with the health care system. More than half had sought care for a mental health issue within the 30 days before death, researchers reported, while only a quarter of people without schizophrenia sought care in the 30 days before death. Even when researchers compared people with schizophrenia with others who had a history of mental health hospitalization, the group with schizophrenia was more likely to have used services prior to death.
“This finding points to an opportunity to intervene,” said Dr. Zaheer, “and raises the question of whether there’s a role for a suicide risk assessment and management with every young person with schizophrenia.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
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