Black D W, Winokur G, Nasrallah A
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.
Am J Psychiatry. 1988 Jul;145(7):849-52. doi: 10.1176/ajp.145.7.849.
The authors report suicide risk among 1,593 patients with major depression or bipolar disorder, 443 (27.8%) of whom were psychotic (260 bipolar and 183 unipolar). The subjects were followed for 0-14 years, and their suicide experience was compared with that of the state population. Eight (19.5%) of the 41 suicide victims were from the psychotic group. The psychotic and nonpsychotic subjects in each diagnostic group had similar risks for suicide. A higher risk for suicide was not found in the bipolar subjects. The authors conclude that among patients with major affective disorder psychosis per se does not predispose to suicide.
