Citation

Roy A, Pompili M. Psychiatr. Clin. North Am. 2009; 32(4): 863-883.

Affiliation

Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Healthcare System, Psychiatry Service 116A, 385 Tremont Avenue, East Orange, NJ 070818, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psc.2009.08.005

PMID

19944889

Abstract

Suicidal behavior remains a major source of morbidity and mortality among schizophrenics. The National Institute of Mental Health Longitudinal Study of Chronic Schizophrenia found that over a mean of 6 years, 38% of the patients had at least one suicide attempt and 57% admitted to substantial suicidal ideation. Suicide is also a major issue among inpatients, with serious implications for clinical practice and patient-doctor relationships. The management of schizophrenic patients with suicide risk remains a difficult area for clinicians despite attempts to better understand it by gathering experts in the field. This article discusses the frequency of suicidal behavior in schizophrenia, offers a model for understanding it, and discusses various aspects of the management of the at-risk schizophrenic patient.

Language: en