Start suicide prevention early in schizophrenia spectrum disorder: Study

Toronto -Suicide is a major cause of mortality for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD).The suicide rate for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) is 170 times higher than the general population according a study just published in the journal Schizophrenia Research, a figure the authors call "tragically high."

The study of 20-years of population data, believed to be the largest of its kind ever done, examined statistics on over 75,000 patients who received a first diagnosis of SSD. On average, each patient was followed for almost ten years. The study found several key factors that were predictors of suicide including:

During the first five years after an individual has been diagnosed with SSD

If there was evidence of a mood disorder or hospitalization prior to diagnosis

If the individual was diagnosed with SSD at a later age

"What this study teaches is us that although people with SSD are at higher risk for suicide, we can target those at the highest risk with changes in policy and treatment," said lead author Dr. Juveria Zaheer, Clinician Scientist at the CAMH Institute for Mental Health Policy Research.