Where schizophrenic patients commit suicide: a review of suicide among inpatients and former inpatients.

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature on suicide of inpatients with schizophrenia, to identify suicide risk factors as well as typical patterns of behavior and to suggest a rationale and strategies for future interventions.

METHOD

A computerized MedLine, Excerpta Medica and PsycLit search supplemented by an examination of cross-references and reviews.

RESULTS

Up to half the suicides among patients with schizophrenia occur during inpatient admission. Inpatient suicides were found among those of a young age group who were predominantly single, childless and socially isolated. The vast majority experienced an illness characterized by long duration and prolonged psychiatric hospitalizations or multiple admissions and discharges. Up to 50% of the suicides occurred in the first few weeks and months following discharge from the hospital. The paranoid subtype of schizophrenia, where positive symptoms prevail and negative symptoms are few, is associated with a suicide risk that is three times greater than that associated with nonparanoid subtypes and eight times greater than the risk associated with the deficit subtype.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of suicide is a major problem among inpatients with schizophrenia. Evidence suggests that suicide is generally carried-out by patients who have been recently discharged or by those who manage to get away from the hospital. Strategies aimed at preventing this phenomenon have been introduced to the medical personnel, but suicide in these patients does not seem to have been reduced. We emphasize the need to establish guidelines for the prevention of suicide in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia.