Merrick Joav, Merrick Efrat, Lunsky Yona, Kandel Isack
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Jerusalem, Israel.
Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci. 2006;43(4):258-64.
It has been assumed that impaired intellectual capacity could act as a buffer to suicidality in the population of persons with intellectual disability (ID), developmental disability or mental retardation. The few studies conducted contest this assumption and in fact findings show that the characteristics of suicidality in that population were very similar to that in persons without intellectual disability. This paper reviews the studies conducted and describes the symptomatology in this population, risk factors, screening and intervention. Professionals working with this population should therefore be aware of and assess for this behavior, since in one study it was found that many caregivers were unaware of suicidality in their clients. Only two studies had systematically examined differences between suicidal and non-suicidal individuals with ID with regard to risk factors. Risk factors found were history of prior psychiatric hospitalization, comorbid physical disabilities, loneliness, sadness, depression or anxiety. There is limited research on intervention for suicidal behavior in the ID population, but professionals should consider risk factors for suicide in this population and intervene when suicidal risk/behavior is found.
人们一直认为，智力受损可能对智力残疾（ID）、发育障碍或智力迟钝人群的自杀倾向起到缓冲作用。已开展的少数研究对这一假设提出了质疑，事实上研究结果表明，该人群的自杀倾向特征与非智力残疾人群非常相似。本文回顾了已开展的研究，并描述了该人群的症状学、风险因素、筛查及干预措施。因此，与该人群打交道的专业人员应意识到并评估这种行为，因为在一项研究中发现，许多照料者并未意识到其服务对象存在自杀倾向。仅有两项研究系统地考察了有自杀倾向和无自杀倾向的智力残疾个体在风险因素方面的差异。发现的风险因素包括既往有精神科住院史、合并身体残疾、孤独、悲伤、抑郁或焦虑。针对智力残疾人群自杀行为的干预研究有限，但专业人员应考虑该人群的自杀风险因素，并在发现有自杀风险/行为时进行干预。
