Psychosocial and psychiatric characteristics of suicide completers with psychiatric treatment before death: A psychological autopsy study of 76 cases

• Published in: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 66; no. 4; pp. 292 - 302
• Main Authors: Hirokawa, Seiko, Matsumoto, Toshihiko, Katsumata, Yotaro, Kitani, Masahiko, Akazawa, Masato, Takahashi, Yoshitomo, Kawakami, Norito, Watanabe, Naoki, Hirayama, Masami, Kameyama, Akiko, Takeshima, Tadashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Publishing Asia 01.06.2012; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Factors; Autopsy; Autopsy - methods; Autopsy - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Drugs; Female; Humans; Japan; Male; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - drug therapy; Mental Disorders - psychology; Middle Aged; Overdose; psychiatric treatment; psychological autopsy; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotropic drugs; Psychotropic Drugs - poisoning; Schizophrenia; Self-Injurious Behavior - psychology; Sex Characteristics; Suicide; Suicide - psychology; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; young adults; Japan; Human; Treatment; Overdosing; young adults; Young adult; Mental disorder; Death; Overdose; Psychological autopsy; psychiatric treatment; Psychosocial factor; Suicide
• ISSN: 1323-1316; 1440-1819
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2012.02343.x

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.