Factors associated with suicide attempts among patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

This study explored the association between psychosocial variables and symptoms among patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who have attempted suicide and those who have not attempted suicide. Of 336 patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were consecutively evaluated at a university-affiliated clinical research center, 98, or 29.2 percent, reported one or more suicide attempts. Compared with patients who had not attempted suicide, patients who had made an attempt had a greater number of lifetime depressive episodes, an earlier age of onset of their illness, and an earlier age at first hospitalization.