Life events and completed suicide in schizophrenia: A comparison of suicide victims with and without schizophrenia

Adverse life events are an established risk factor in completed suicide. Ho wever, few studies have examined life events and suicide in schizophrenia. We investigated and compared schizophrenia suicide victims and age- and sex -matched victims without schizophrenia as part of a psychological autopsy s tudy of all suicides in Finland over a 12-month period. Recent life events were examined retrospectively by interviewing next of kin using a structure d life event questionnaire. Overall, nearly half (46%) the schizophrenia su bjects had had adverse life events before suicide, significantly less than the nonschizophrenia subjects (83%). In both groups, however, suicide was p receded by life events independent of the victims' own behavior, such as de ath of a close person or illness in the family, Life events overall were mo re common among schizophrenia outpatients (52%) than inpatients (22%), and the association of life events with suicide was dearest among a subgroup of outpatients in residual phase who had used neuroleptic medication regularl y. Overall, the prevalence of recent adverse life events varied between cli nical subgroups of victims with schizophrenia, which may have implications for suicide prevention.