The Impact of Attempted Suicide on Symptoms and Course of Mood Disorders

This study examined the impact of attempted suicide on the symptoms & course of mood disorders. 40 depressed patients who had attempted suicide immediately before admission were compared to 40 depressed but nonsuicidal control patients. Analyses showed that depression was significantly more likely to improve within 1 week of admission among suicidal unipolar patients than among nonsuicidal unipolar patients. Of the 15 patients showing postsuicidal improvement of depression, 33% relapsed within 1 month. Implications are discussed. (15 refs)