Persistent Suicide Risk in Clinically Improved Schizophrenia Patients: Challenge of the Suicidal Dimension
Shrivastava A~~Johnston M E~~et al
This study assessed suicidality in long-term clinically improved patients with schizophrenia in Mumbai, India. 61 patients out of 200 consecutive hospitalized first-episode patients who were much improved at the endpoint of a 10-year follow-up were studied. Many of the patients, although clinically improved, experienced emerging suicidality during the follow-up period. All of the patients reported significant suicidality at the end of the study, whereas only 83% had reported significant suicidality at baseline. No sociodemographic & clinical variables at baseline were predictive of suicidal status at the end of follow-up. Adequate assessment & management of suicidality needs to be a continual process, even in patients who respond well to treatment. (43 refs.) JA