Depression and Suicide in Early Onset Schizophrenia

Abstract

Purpose

Suicide is a major cause of death in adolescents with first-episode schizophrenia (FES). We compared suicide-related traits between subjects with FES and with other psychopathologies in order to evaluate risk factors for suicidal behavior.

Subjects and methods

Twenty-five inpatient adolescents with FES and a control group of 28 psychiatric inpatients matched for gender and age were assessed for depression, anger, criminal behavior, aggression, and suicidal ideation, risk and potential.

Results

The adolescents with FES had significantly lower depression (p=0.003) anger (p=0.025) and criminal behavior (p=0.022) than did the controls. However, while suicide ideation was greater in the subjects with FES (p=0.003), suicide risk was significantly lower than controls (p=0.004).

Discussion

Decreased levels of both depression and anger as part of affective constriction in the schizophrenia group could explain why the increased suicide ideation did not lead to a higher suicide risk in these inpatients.

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of distinguishing between suicidal ideation and actual suicide risk. We demonstrated that thoughts of suicide do not necessarily translate into an actual risk of suicidal behavior in adolescents with schizophrenia.