Citation

Alonso P, Segalàs C, Real E, Pertusa A, Labad J, Jiménez-Murcia S, Jaurrieta N, Bueno B, Vallejo J, Menchón JM. J. Affect. Disord. 2010; 124(3): 300-308.

Affiliation

OCD Clinical and Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus,

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2009.12.001

PMID

20060171

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To describe the occurrence of persistent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a sample of obsessive-compulsive patients followed-up prospectively during 1 to 6years, and to determine the existence of predictors of suicide behavior. METHOD: Two hundred and eighteen outpatients with DSM-IV OCD, recruited from a specialized OCD Unit in Barcelona, Spain, between February 1998 and December 2007, were included in the study. Suicide ideation was assessed by item 3 of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Suicide attempts were evaluated by the Beck Suicide Intent Scale. Patients with and without persistent suicidal thoughts and suicide attempters and non-attempters were compared on sociodemographic and clinical variables. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate potential predictors of suicide. RESULTS: Patients completed a mean follow-up period of treatment of 4.1years (SD: 1.7; range: 1-6years). During this period, eighteen patients (8.2%) reported persistent suicidal ideation, two patients (0.91%) committed suicide and 11 (5.0%) attempted suicide. Being unmarried, presenting higher basal scores in the HDRS, current or previous history of affective disorders and symmetry/ordering obsessions were independently associated with suicidal behaviors. LIMITATIONS: Patients were recruited from a specialized OCD clinic and received exhaustive treatment. Influence of variables including social support, life events, hopelessness and substance abuse/dependence was not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Suicide behavior is not a highly common phenomenon in OCD, but it should not be disregarded, especially in unmarried patients, with comorbid depression and symmetry/ordering obsessions and compulsions, who appear to be at a greater risk for suicide acts.

Language: en