People with schizophrenia account for more than 1 in 10 suicide cases

by ahnationtalk on June 22, 2018998 Views

People with schizophrenia account for more than 1 in 10 suicide cases

TORONTO, June 21, 2018 – A new CAMH and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) study shows that people with schizophrenia account for more than 1 in 10 cases of suicide in Ontario, and that young people are disproportionately affected.

“Among people who died by suicide, having a diagnosis of schizophrenia is clearly over-represented,” says Dr. Juveria Zaheer, first author and Clinician Scientist in CAMH’s Institute for Mental Health Policy Research.

The study, published in Schizophrenia Research, showed that 12 per cent of all suicide cases involved a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Approximately one per cent of the population has the disorder.

Those with schizophrenia who died were also more likely to be younger, with one in five between the ages of 25 and 34 compared to 1 in 10 in the non-schizophrenia group. “This is shocking,” says Dr. Zaheer. “We need to emphasize the importance of assessing the risk of suicide in younger patients with schizophrenia, particularly early in the course of illness.”

NT5

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