Life events and suicidality in adolescents with schizophrenia |
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Authors: | Silvana Fennig MD Netta Horesh PhD Daphna Aloni MA Alan Apter MD Abraham Weizman MD Shmuel Fennig MD |
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Institution: | (1) Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel;(2) Shalvata Mental Health Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel;(3) Dept. of Psychological Medicine, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel and the Feinberg Child Study Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel;(4) Dept. of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel;(5) Brill Mental Health Center, Ramat Chen, Israel;(6) Geha Mental Health Center, Israel Felsenstein Medical Research Center Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel;(7) Dept. of Psychological Medicine, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva 49202, Israel |
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Abstract: | Abstract
Objective Suicide is the leading cause of premature death in patients with schizophrenia. Studies have shown a weaker association between
suicidal behavior and stressful life events in schizophrenic than in nonschizophrenic subjects. The aim of the present study
was to further investigate the complicated relationship of suicide attempts and life events in adolescent schizophrenic patients.
Methods Forty adolescents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, including 20 who had attempted suicide and 20 who had not, were compared
with 20 age-matched subjects with no psychiatric history. The instruments used for the assessment were the Life Events Checklist,
the Suicidal Risk Scale, the Sexual Abuse in Childhood Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory.
Results Control subjects reported fewer life events in general, and fewer negative events, events of sexual abuse, and events associated
with impaired family functioning than the schizophrenic patients. Within the schizophrenic group, the suicidal patients reported
fewer life events than the nonsuicidal patients, but there was no difference between the groups in the number of negative
or sexual-abuse events. However, the proportion of negative life events out of total life events was higher in the suicidal
group, and their perceived impact was stronger. Levels of depression and suicidality were higher in the suicidal schizophrenic
patients than in the nonsuicidal patients.
Conclusions In adolescent patients with schizophrenia, suicidal behavior is associated less with the number of life events and more with
their perception of the events as negative and the impact of these events on the individual. |
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Keywords: | suicide attempt adolescence schizophrenia life events |
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