Suicidal Behavior Among Schizophrenic Patients

Tanta University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Suicidal Behavior; Schizophrenic Patients

Treatments: Other: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07145840

35394/4/22

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aimed to; -

1. Study suicidal behavior among sample of schizophrenic patients.
2. Study relation between schizophrenic symptoms and suicidal behavior.
3. Study the relation of mood symptoms in schizophrenic patients and suicidal behavior.

Full description

Suicide is a major public health concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one million people die by suicide each year worldwide. This statistic means that every 40 seconds, someone dies by suicide somewhere on the globe, with many more people making non-lethal suicide attempts. It has been suggested that the number of individuals who attempt suicide without causing death is about 10-15 times the number of those who die by suicide.

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by cognitive impairment and behavioral dysfunction. Patients with schizophrenia are at an elevated risk of self-harm, suicide, and all-cause mortality, which results in a reduction of life expectancy of up to 20 years compared with the general population.

Suicide risk in schizophrenia is notably high, and early detection depends on recognizing and evaluating clinical manifestations of depression, despair, and hopelessness, as well as the nature and severity of the psychotic experience, particularly in recently diagnosed patients with higher cognitive function and educational backgrounds.

There is a lack of studies on suicidal behaviors in schizophrenic patients in Arab countries. A study on overall suicidality in Arab countries reported a lifetime suicide attempt rate of 0.72%-6.3% and a suicide ideation rate of 2.09%-13.9%. More research is needed in this area due to the societal and economic costs of suicidal behavior in schizophrenic patients. This issue is a high priority for public health. Several trials have aimed to identify valid predictors of suicide risk. These predictors could not only help reduce the mortality associated with suicidality but also enable a more rational allocation of resources for treatment. Previous suicide attempts, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and akathisia have been identified as reliable predictors of suicidal behavior.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Age between 18 and 60.
2. Both females and males will be included.
3. All patients should meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for schizophrenia.

Exclusion criteria

1. Any neurological disorder.
2. Past history of head trauma.
3. Medical or autoimmune disorders.
4. Other psychiatric disorders e. g. bipolar disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety.
5. Pregnancy.

Trial design

60 participants in 2 patient groups

Group A

Description:

Patients with schizophrenia. They had a current history of suicide ideation or attempt.

Treatment:

Other: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)

Group B

Description:

Patients with schizophrenia without any history of neither suicide ideation nor attempt.

Treatment:

Other: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)