Citation

Nordentoft M, Qin P. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 43.

Affiliation

Bispebjerg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark. (mn@dadlnet.dk)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963910

Abstract

Suicide in relation to schizophrenia is an important clinical and public health problem. Reviews of suicide risk in schizophrenia are presented and risk factors are reviewed. Suicide risk in schizophrenia decreased with the same speed as the decrease in the general population, and in Denmark, the suicide risk in schizophrenia was halved from 1981 to 1997. Danish population registers were used to identify high risk periods for suicide, and two sharp peaks for suicide risk in schizophrenia were identified: shortly after admission and shortly after discharge. Increased attention should be paid to assessing suicide risk in these two high-risk periods, and to measures that can hopefully influence the high risk. Assessment of suicide risk and outpatient treatment immediately after discharge is of particular importance.

Language: en