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Gender differences in suicidal behaviour in patients with first‐episode psychosis
Author(s) -
Austad Gudrun,
Joa Inge,
Johannessen Jan Olav,
Larsen Tor Ketil
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
early intervention in psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.087
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1751-7893
pISSN - 1751-7885
DOI - 10.1111/eip.12113
Subject(s) - suicidal ideation , psychosis , psychiatry , suicide attempt , psychology , depressive symptoms , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , clinical psychology , male gender , suicide prevention , medicine , poison control , medical emergency , anxiety
Aim Prior research shows contradictory gender patterns in suicidal behaviour among patients with first‐episode psychosis. The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in the prevalence of suicidal behaviour (suicidal ideation, suicide plans and suicide attempts) and to delineate risk factors for suicidal behaviour among consecutively included male and female patients with first‐episode psychosis in the TIPS II early detection study. Methods Patients with first‐episode psychosis ( n = 246) from a hospital catchment area with a system for early detection were assessed and compared on baseline sociodemographical and clinical variables according to gender. Current (past 1 month) and lifetime prevalence of suicidal behaviour were assessed. Results Current and lifetime rates of suicidal behaviour were high (50.8% and 65.9%, respectively) and higher among females (lifetime: 78.3 %, past month: 64.2 %) versus males (lifetime: 56.4 %, past month: 40.7 %). Depressive symptoms and female gender were associated with both lifetime and current risk for suicidal behaviour. Lifetime prevalence was also associated with a longer duration of untreated psychosis and young age after controlling for other risk factors. Conclusions Suicidal behaviour was frequent among patients with first‐episode psychosis, with a higher prevalence of suicidal behaviour in females. Depressive symptoms and female gender were significantly associated with suicidal behaviour.