Suicidality in Bipolar Compared to Unipolar Depressed Inpatients

These analyses evaluated differences in suicidality (past suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts at time of admission, & completed suicide during the hospital stay) between bipolar & unipolar depressed inpatients. Apart from a higher frequency of past suicide attempts in bipolar depressed patients, findings do not indicate any further differences in suicidality & completed suicide during the hospital stay between the 2 groups. Factors with a predictive value for suicidal thoughts at the time of admission were a positive family history for affective disorders, past suicide attempts, & the depressive & paranoid hallucinatory syndrome. The risk of suicide during the hospital stay increased if the patient had a history of past suicide attempts & suicidal thoughts at the time of admission. (26 refs.) JA