RATES AND CORRELATES OF SUICIDE ATTEMPTS IN FIRST-ADMISSION PSYCHOTIC-PATIENTS

The relationship of attempted suicide to demographic characteristics, current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, clinical history, and curr ent symptoms was assessed in a sample of 184 recently hospitalized psy chotic patients. Forty-three patients (23%) had an attempt history, an d 28 (15% of sample; 65% of attempters) made an attempt during the epi sode for which they were hospitalized. Demographic characteristics did not distinguish attempters from nonattempters. Variables significantl y associated with having ever attempted suicide were current diagnosis of unipolar major depressive disorder but not bipolar; lifetime major depressive episode; a history characterized by a less acute onset, lo wer pre-admission psychosocial functioning, and episodes of physical v iolence; and a symptom picture characterized by greater depression, ho pelessness, negative symptoms, hallucinations and less thought disorde r. Those with a current attempt had significantly higher rates of life time history of major depression and less physical violence than those with past attempts only. The potential importance of the data for pre dicting future suicidal acts is discussed.