Professional paper

Suicidality in Schizophrenic Patients

Dunja Šojat ; University Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek, Faculty of Medicine
Maja Miškulin ; University Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek, Faculty of Medicine
Dunja Degmečić ; University Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek, Faculty of Medicine; Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek, Psychiatric Clinic, Osijek, Croatia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of incidence of suicidality in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia,
hospitalized at the Psychiatric Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek in the period from 2010 to 2015, as well as to
determine whether there was a significant relationship between suicidality and parameters collected in the study. This study
comprised 380 schizophrenic patients hospitalized at the Psychiatric Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek in the period
between 2010 and 2015. Data were collected from the medical histories of participants diagnosed with schizophrenia by
means of a questionnaire drafted for the purpose of this study. The questionnaire contained the following information:
age, sex, employment status, marital status, qualifications, number of children, medications used to treat schizophrenia,
existence of a suicide attempt or a repeated suicide attempt, method of a suicide attempt, comorbid diagnoses, age when
the treatment started, number of hospitalizations and duration of psychiatric treatment in years. Out of total number of
participants, 12.6% of them attempted to commit suicide and 3.95% of participants repeated a suicide attempt. In the
observed period, the highest number of suicide attempts took place in 2011 and the lowest number in 2014. Based on
the obtained results, it was determined that participants more likely to attempt suicide were unmarried participants and
participants using more than three medications during their schizophrenia treatment, including nitrazepam. Other risk
factors included a greater number of hospitalizations, as well as borderline personality disorder in participants.

Keywords

Schizophrenia; Suicidality; Hospitalization

Hrčak ID:

203822

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/203822

Publication date:

19.7.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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