Citation

Gentile S. Curr. Psychiatry Rev. 2008; 4(3): 169-184.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Bentham Science Publishers)

DOI

10.2174/157340008785829959

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Suicide remains a significant public issue. Several concordant information exists suggesting that patients diagnosed with severe and persistent psychiatric disorder (SPPD) show relatively higher rates of deaths by suicide compared with patients suffering from other mental illness. In particular, recent researches have demonstrated that, in pregnant women with history of SPPD, a percentage ranging from 13.1% to 33.0% of mothers may have suicidal ideation. Both psychopathological and social specificities of women with SPPD must force clinicians to consider any suicidal expression shown by these mothers as a signal of possible high-lethality suicide attempts. Because of the vast majority of maternal suicidal deaths due to psychiatric disorder usually occur before week 20 of gestation, the necessity exists to analyze and summarize published literature information on the teratogenic risk of antisuicidal drugs and somatic treatments also associated with the property to reduce the rate of self-aggressive behaviors, in order to identify the safest option to treat suicidal risk during early pregnancy. Further, the difficulties of managing the suicidal risk during the last stages of pregnancy are briefly summarized. © 2008 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

human; Pregnancy; suicidal ideation; patient safety; suicide attempt; lithium; Lithium; risk assessment; disease severity; clozapine; Electroconvulsive therapy; Clozapine; Suicidal risk; risk factor; psychoeducation; maternal mortality; review; aggressiveness; mental disease; antidepressant agent; neuroleptic agent; citalopram; fluoxetine; fluvoxamine; paroxetine; serotonin uptake inhibitor; sertraline; venlafaxine; priority journal; social aspect; psychotropic agent; drug mechanism; electroconvulsive therapy; patient care planning; drug efficacy; psychiatric treatment; duloxetine; escitalopram; teratogenesis; child care; risk reduction; drug contraindication; drug indication; Serotonin reuptake inhibitors; monotherapy; mood stabilizer; treatment contraindication; fetus malformation; spontaneous abortion; pregnancy outcome; pregnant woman; premature labor; outcome assessment; clinical effectiveness; gestation period; serotonin noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor; newborn death; birth defect; meconium peritonitis