Suicidal ideation in patients with early psychosis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the risk factors of suicidal ideation in early psychosis patients. METHODS: 89 in and out patients with early psychosis and 71 matched normal controls were recruited. A set of comprehensive ratings were used to assess their clinical and psychological profiles: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Scale of Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Montogomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Simpson and Angus Scale, Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale (BARNES), Beck Scale of Suicide Ideation (BSS), Beck Hopelessness Scale, Levenson’s Internal, Powerful Others and Chance Control Scale (IPC), Brief Reasons for living for adolescents (BRFL-A), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Life Event Questionnaire, Future Outlook Inventory, Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) and Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire. RESULTS: The suicidal ideation rate (42%) in patients doubled the rate in normal controls. Suicidal ideation in patients and normal controls shared some common risk factors, including hopelessness (p = 0.000), pessimistic future outlook (p = 0.000), negative survival and coping beliefs (p = 0.001), and history of suicide attempts (p = 0.002). Risk factors specific to patients included mild clinical symptoms (p = 0.001) impulsive thinking (p < 0.05), less endorsement in internal controls (p = 0.000), and more endorsement in external controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggested common and specific risk factors of suicidal ideation in patients with early psychosis. Also. It suggested a possible role of psychosis in causing the excessive suicidal ideation, through negative effect of clinical factors and treatment-related factors, additional psychological risk factors, and intensification of mediating psychological risk factors of suicidal ideation.