Family history of suicide: a clinical marker for major depression in primary care practice?

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the family history of suicide among primary care patients with or without current major depressive episode (MDE).

METHODS

This study was performed in 2 GP practices in Budapest on 255 consecutively investigated primary care attendees. The diagnosis of current MDE (symptomatic MDE or MDE in partial remission) was made by the Hungarian version of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD). Family history of suicide was rated as positive where the patients reported at least one first or second degree relative with completed suicide.

RESULTS

Out of the 255 consecutively investigated patients 45 (17.6%) have had current MDE and 24 (9.4%) have had positive family history of suicide. The family history of suicide was significantly more common among patients with current MDE than among those without it (26.6% vs 5.7%, p=0.0001). Fifty percent of patients with, and 14.3% of patients without family history of suicide have had current MDE (p=0.0001).

LIMITATION

Small sample size, and lacking data on fully remitted major depressives as well as on comorbid psychiatric and medical disorders.

CONCLUSION

History of completed suicide among first or second degree relatives could be a good and simple clinical marker for current and lifetime MDE in primary care patients.