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Attempted Suicide in Chronic Schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Alec Roy
Affiliation:
Neurosciences Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA 20205
Anne Mazonson
Affiliation:
Neurosciences Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA 20205
David Pickar
Affiliation:
Neurosciences Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA 20205

Summary

In a consecutive series of 127 chronic schizophrenics admitted to hospital, 70 (55.1 per cent) had attempted suicide. When compared with the chronic schizophrenics who had not attempted suicide, significantly more of the attempters had had a major depressive episode (45.7 per cent) and had received antidepressant medication (65.7 per cent). They also had histories of significantly more psychiatric admissions (a mean of 5.4 compared with 3.6). These findings are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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