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Comorbid personality disorder predicts suicide after major depression: a 10‐year follow‐up
Author(s) -
Hansen P. E. B.,
Wang A. G.,
Stage K. B.,
KraghSorensen P.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0001-690x.2003.2o048.x
Subject(s) - psychopathology , psychiatry , depression (economics) , substance abuse , psychology , population , comorbidity , hazard ratio , clinical psychology , melancholic depression , suicide attempt , alcohol dependence , alcohol abuse , poison control , medicine , suicide prevention , melancholia , confidence interval , alcohol , medical emergency , biochemistry , chemistry , cognition , environmental health , macroeconomics , economics
Objective: To identify psychopathological predictors for suicide in a population of major depressed Diagnostic Statistical Manual‐III (DSM‐III) in‐patients. Method: A total of 210 previous participants in multicentre antidepressant drug trials, carried out in a randomized double‐blind design, were followed prospectively through a maximum of 10 years. Patients with a drug or alcohol abuse were excluded. The association between suicide and the pretreatment psychopathological profile was analysed using survival statistics. Results: The suicide rate for non‐melancholic depressed patients was significantly higher than for melancholic depressed patients. Comorbid personality disorder was independently associated with an increased suicide rate [relative hazard 3.41(CI: 1.15–10.10)]. Conclusion: The study indicates that the non‐melancholic aspect of depression, and especially comorbid personality disorder, is associated with an increased suicidal vulnerability.