Objectives:There are few studies about the future risk of suicide in schizophrenic patients who attempted with violent methods and the pathogenesis of suicide attempts with violent methods. The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between the violence of method of suicide attempts and current suicidal behaviors (current suicidality) in schizophrenic patients, and 2) to identify clinical characteristics associated with the violence of means of suicide attempts in schizophrenic patients.
Methods:71 schizophrenic patients were recruited for this study. All subjects were diagnosed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV-I. In addition, all lifetime histories of suicide attempts, traits of impulsiveness (BIS, Barratt Impulsivity Scale) and sociodemographic information of subjects were also assessed.
Results:Subjects who made suicide attempts were 34 (47.9%). The levels of current suicidality of all subjects were different among the violence of suicide attempts (χ2 =13.87, df=8, p<0.05), and subjects with violent suicide attempts made more often suicide attempts than subjects with non-violent attempts (2.20±1.15 vs 1.42±0.84, t=2.21, p<0.05). Suicide attempters had more impulsive traits than subjects without suicide attempt. Violent suicide attempters had more impulsive traits than any other subjects (F=7.30, p<0.01).
Conclusion:These findings indicated the violence of attempted method might make a play as a predictor of future suicide risk in schizophrenic patients together with the number of previous suicide attempts. And traits of impulsiveness might be a significant role in pathogenesis of suicide attempts and violence of attempted method. So this study indicated active therapeutic intervention targeting impulsivity should be needed in clinical settings for treatment of schizophrenia. Future study with large sample size, prospective design and various variables would be needed. (Schizophrenia Clinics 2004;7:29-34) |