OBJECTIVE

To prospectively explore the risk factors of suicide in patients with schizophrenia.

METHODS

Data on schizophrenia patients in Sichuan Province between 2006 and 2018 were obtained from the National Severe Mental Disorders Information System, and the Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to explore for risk factors for suicide in schizophrenia patients.

RESULT

A total of 170006 patients with schizophrenia were included in the study. At the end of the follow-up period, 160570 patients were alive and 9436 died from various causes, 929 of which being suicide deaths, resulting in a suicide rate of 223.61/100, 000 person-years. The Cox proportional hazards regression model suggested that risk factors for suicide in patients with schizophrenia included poverty ( =1.20, 95% : 1.02-1.41), higher education level (primary school [ =1.32, 95% : 1.09-1.60], middle school [ =1.40, 95% : 1.14-1.73], high school and above [ =1.93, 95% : 1.49-2.52]) in comparison with illiteracy and semi-literacy, suicide attempts ( =2.70, 95% : 1.70-4.29), strict medication compliance ( =1.91, 95% : 1.66-2.20), history of antipsychotic drug therapy ( =1.42, 95% : 1.06-1.90), younger age group of patients of 46-60 ( =1.95, 95% : 1.60-2.39), 31-45 ( =3.61, 95% : 2.92-4.47), and 15-30 ( =12.37, 95% : 9.69-15.78) compared with the 61-90 age group, and doing agriculture jobs ( =1.36, 95% : 1.13-1.65).

CONCLUSION

Young and middle-aged schizophrenia patients with higher education levels, especially those with a history of suicide attempts, are at high risk for suicide. Focused interventions should be directed at high-risk groups to reduce suicide deaths in patients with schizophrenia.