Citation

Kostić VS, Pekmezović T, Tomić A, Ječmenica-Lukić M, Stojković T, Spica V, Svetel M, Stefanova E, Petrović I, Džoljić E. J. Neurol. Sci. 2010; 289(1-2): 40-43.

Affiliation

Institute of Neurology CCS, School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jns.2009.08.016

PMID

19737673

Abstract

Little is known about the prevalence and correlates of suicidal behavior in Parkinson's disease (PD). In the first part of the study, we followed a cohort of 102 consecutive PD patients for 8years and found that the suicide-specific mortality was 5.3 (95% CI 2.1-12.7) times higher than expected. In the second part, we tested 128 PD patients for death and suicidal ideation and administered an extensive neurological, neuropsychological and psychiatric battery. Current death and/or suicidal ideation was registered in 22.7%. On univariate logistic regression analysis, psychiatric symptoms (depression, but also anxiety and hopelessness), but not the PD-related variables, were associated with such ideation. On multivariate logistic regression analysis this association held for major depression (odds ratio=4.6; 95% CI 2.2-9.4; p<0.001), psychosis (odds ratio=19.2; 95% CI 1.4-27.3; p=0.026), and increasing score of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (odds ratio=1.2; 95% CI 1.0-1.4; p=0.008). In conclusion, the suicide risk in PD may not be as high as it is expected, but it is certainly not trivial. According to our data almost a quarter of PD patients had death and/or suicidal ideation, that may significantly influence their quality of life.

Language: en