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Psychosocial and psychiatric characteristics of suicide completers with psychiatric treatment before death: A psychological autopsy study of 76 cases
Author(s) -
Hirokawa Seiko,
Matsumoto Toshihiko,
Katsumata Yotaro,
Kitani Masahiko,
Akazawa Masato,
Takahashi Yoshitomo,
Kawakami Norito,
Watanabe Naoki,
Hirayama Masami,
Kameyama Akiko,
Takeshima Tadashi
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2012.02343.x
Subject(s) - psychiatry , psychosocial , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychiatric history , medicine , suicide prevention , suicide attempt , poison control , psychology , clinical psychology , medical emergency , anxiety
Aim: The present study was conducted to examine differences in psychosocial and psychiatric characteristics between suicide completers with and without a history of psychiatric treatment within the year before death, using a psychological autopsy method. Methods: A semi‐structured interview was administered by a psychiatrist and other mental health professionals for the closest bereaved of 76 suicide completers. Results: Suicide completers with a history of psychiatric treatment ( n = 38) were significantly younger than those without ( n = 38) ( P < 0.01), and a significantly higher proportion of cases in the treatment group were estimated to be suffering from schizophrenia. Further, in 57.9% of the treatment group, the fatal suicidal behavior involved overdose with prescribed psychotropic drugs. In addition, female suicide completers in the treatment group were more likely to have a history of self‐harm or non‐fatal suicidal behavior. Conclusion: Many suicide completers who received psychiatric treatment were young adults. It was common for suicide completers to overdose on prescribed drugs as a supplementary means of suicide, and many experienced self‐harming behavior before death. In addition, a higher proportion of the treatment cases suffered from schizophrenia.