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References for:
Suicidal Behavior in Schizophrenia: Diagnosis, Neurobiology, and Treatment Implications

[Curr Opin Psychiatry 16(2):193-197, 2003. © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins]


Papers of particular interest, published within the annual period of review, have been highlighted as:

*of special interest
**of outstanding interest

  1. Tandon R, Glick I, Jibson MD, et al. Treating schizophrenia: a primer 2002. New York: McMahon Publishing; 2001.
    *This gives a comprehensive review of the application of the principles of evidence-based medicine to the pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia.
  2. Babidge NC, Buhrich N, Butler T. Mortality among homeless people with schizophrenia in Sydney, Australia: a 10-year follow-up. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2001; 103:105-110.
  3. Ran M, Xiang M, Huang M, Shan Y. Natural course of schizophrenia: 2-year follow-up study in a rural Chinese community. Br J Psychiatry 2001; 178:154-158.
  4. Osby U, Correia N, Brandt L, et al. Mortality and causes of death in schizophrenia in Stockholm county, Sweden. Schizophr Res 2000; 45:21-28.
  5. Brown S, Inskip H, Barraclough B. Causes of the excess mortality of schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry 2000; 177:212-217.
  6. Bralet MC, Yon V, Loas G, Noisette C. Cause of mortality in schizophrenic patients: prospective study of years of a cohort of 150 chronic schizophrenic patients. Encephale 2000; 26:32-41.
  7. Le Fevre PD. Improving the physical health of patients with schizophrenia: therapeutic nihilism or realism? Scott Med J 2001; 46:11-13.
  8. Nordentoft M, Jeppesen P, Abel M, et al. OPUS study: suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation and hopelessness among patients with first-episode psychosis. One-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry 2002; 181 (Suppl 43): s98-s106.
  9. Ramsay L, Gray C, White T. A review of suicide within the State Hospital, Carstairs 1972-1996. Med Sci Law 2001; 41:97-101.
  10. Coman M, Meyer AD, Cameron PA. Jumping from the Westgate Bridge, Melbourne. Med J Aust 2000; 172:67-69.
  11. Martin BA. The Clarke Institute experience with completed suicide: 1966 to 1997. Can J Psychiatry 2000; 45:630-638.
  12. Deisenhammer EA, DeCol C, Honeder M, et al. In-patient suicide in psychiatric hospitals. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000; 102:290-294.
  13. Ostroglazov VG, Lisina MA. Clinico-psychopathological characteristics of states in patients with suicidal attempts [in Russian]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2000; 100:18-20.
  14. Kreyenbuhl JA, Kelly DL, Conley RR. Circumstances of suicide among individuals with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2002; 58:253-261.
  15. Bhatia MS, Aggarwal NK, Aggarwal BB. Psychosocial profile of suicide ideators, attempters and completers in India. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2000; 46:155-163.
  16. Funahashi T, Ibuki Y, Domon Y, et al. A clinical study on suicide among schizophrenics. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2000; 54:173-179.
  17. Beautrais AL. Suicides and serious suicide attempts: two populations or one? Psychol Med 2001; 31:837-845.
  18. Krupinski M, Fischer A, Grohmann R, et al. Schizophrenic psychoses and suicide in the clinic. Risk factors, psychopharmacologic treatment [in German]. Nervenarzt 2000; 71:906-911.
  19. Schwartz RC, Cohen BN. Psychosocial correlates of suicidal intent among patients with schizophrenia. Compr Psychiatry 2001; 42:118-123.
  20. De Hert M, McKenzie K, Peuskens J. Risk factors for suicide in young people suffering from schizophrenia: a long-term follow-up study. Schizophr Res 2001; 47:127-134.
    *This is an excellent case-control study of suicide in schizophrenia.
  21. Siris SG. Suicide and schizophrenia [review]. J Psychopharmacol 2001; 15:127-135.
    *This provides a comprehensive review of the role of depression in relation to suicide in schizophrenia.
  22. Goodwin R, Lyons JS, McNally RJ. Panic attacks in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2002; 58:213-220.
  23. Harkavy-Friedman JM, Restifo K, Malaspina D, et al. Suicidal behavior in schizophrenia: characteristics of individuals who had and had not attempted suicide. Am J Psychiatry 1999; 156:1276-1278.
  24. Goodwin R, Davidson L. Panic attacks in psychosis. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2002; 105:14-19.
  25. Grunebaum MF, Oquendo MA, Harkavy-Friedman JM, et al. Delusions and suicidality. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158:742-747.
  26. Messias E, Kirkpatrick B, Ram R, Tien AY. Suspiciousness as a specific risk factor for major depressive episodes in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2001; 47:159-165.
  27. Birchwood M, Iqbal Z, Chadwick P, Trower P. Cognitive approach to depression and suicidal thinking in psychosis. 1. Ontogeny of post-psychotic depression. Br J Psychiatry 2000; 177:516-521.
  28. Tapp A, Kilzieh N, Wood AE, et al. Depression in patients with schizophrenia during an acute psychotic episode. Compr Psychiatry 2001; 42:314-318.
  29. Marengo J, Harrow M, Herbener ES, Sands J. A prospective longitudinal 10-year study of schizophrenia's three major factors and depression. Psychiatry Res 2000; 97:61-77.
  30. Muller MJ, Szegedi A, Wetzel H, Benkert O. Depressive factors and their relationships with other symptom domains in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and psychotic depression. Schizophr Bull 2001; 27:19-28.
  31. Iqbal Z, Birchwood M, Chadwick P, Trower P. Cognitive approach to depression and suicidal thinking in psychosis. 2. Testing the validity of a social ranking model. Br J Psychiatry 2000; 177:522-528.
  32. Delahanty J, Ram R, Postrada L, et al. Differences in rates of depression in schizophrenia by race. Schizophr Bull 2001; 27:29-38.
  33. Siris SG. Depression in schizophrenia. Perspective in the era of "atypical" antipsychotic agents. Am J Psychiatry 2000; 157:1379-1389.
  34. Hausmann A, Fleischhacker WW. Differential diagnosis of depressed mood in patients with schizophrenia: a diagnostic algorithm based on a review. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2002; 106:83-96.
    *This presents a systematic approach to the assessment and treatment of depression in schizophrenia.
  35. Kamali M, Kelly L, Gervin M, et al. The prevalence of comorbid substance misuse and its influence on suicidal ideation among in-patients with schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000; 101:452-456.
  36. Gut-Fayand A, Dervaux A, Olie JP, et al. Substance abuse and suicidality in schizophrenia: a common risk factor linked to impulsivity. Psychiatry Res 2001; 102:65-72.
    *This is a study of the relationship of substance abuse and impulsivity with suicide in schizophrenia.
  37. Schwartz RC. Insight and suicidality in schizophrenia: a replication study. J Nerv Ment Dis 2000; 188:235-237.
  38. Schwartz RC. Self-awareness in schizophrenia: its relationship to depressive symptomatology and broad psychiatric impairments. J Nerv Ment Dis 2001; 189:401-403.
  39. Atbasoglu EC, Schultz SK, Andreasen NC. The relationship of akathisia with suicidality and depersonalization among patients with schizophrenia. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2001; 13:336-341.
    *This is a study of the role of akathisia in suicidality in schizophrenia.
  40. Hansen L, Wilkinson DG. Drug-induced akathisia, suicidal ideation and its treatment in the elderly. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2001; 16:231-233.
  41. Caberlotto L, Hurd YL. Neuropeptide Y Y(1) and Y(2) receptor mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex of psychiatric subjects. Relationship of Y(2) subtype to suicidal behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2001; 25:91-97.
    *This is a post-mortem study of neuropeptide Y expression in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.
  42. Niswender CM, Herrick-Davis K, Dilley GE, et al. RNA editing of the human serotonin 5-HT2C receptor. Alterations in suicide and implications for serotonergic pharmacotherapy. Neuropsychopharmacology 2001; 24:478-491.
    *This is a study of the relationship between the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C receptor and suicide across psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.
  43. Brunner J, Stalla GK, Stalla J, et al. Decreased corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of eucortisolemic suicide attempters. J Psychiatr Res 2001; 35:1-9.
    *This is a study of the relationship between multiple measures of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis and suicide across multiple psychiatric disorders.
  44. Nolan KA, Volavka J, Czobor P, et al. Suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia is related to COMT polymorphism. Psychiatr Genet 2000; 10:117-124.
  45. Paik I, Toh K, Kim J, Lee C. TPH gene may be associated with suicidal behavior, but not with schizophrenia in the Korean population. Hum Hered 2000; 50:365-369.
  46. Bergquist J, Traskman-Bendz L, Lindstrom MB, Ekman R. Suicide-attempters having immunoglobulin G with affinity for dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2002; 12:153-158.
  47. Filipovic B, Teofilovski-Parapid G, Stojicic M. Comparative post-mortem study of cavum septi pellucidi in alcoholics, schizophrenics and aggressive persons. Folia Morphol (Warsz) 2000; 58:297-305.
  48. Chong SA, Lee WL, Tan CH, et al. Attempted suicide and polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2000; 97:101-106.
  49. Tan EC, Chong SA, Chan AOM, Tan CH. No evidence for association of the T102C polymorphism in the serotonin 2A receptor with suicidal behavior in schizophrenia. Am J Med Genet 2002; 114:321-322.
  50. Huang T, Wu S. Serum cholesterol levels in paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia associated with physical violence or suicide attempts in Taiwanese. Psychiatry Res 2000; 96:175-178.
  51. Rajarethinam RP, DeQuardo JR, Brunberg J, Tandon R. Cavum septum pellucidum in schizophrenia: prevalence and implications. Schizophr Res 2001; 48:201-205.
  52. Lewis C, DeQuardo JR, Tandon R. Biological predictors of suicidality in schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996; 44:416-420.
  53. Mann JJ, Brent DA, Arango V. The neurobiology and genetics of suicide and attempted suicide: a focus on the serotonergic system. Neuropsychopharmacology 2001; 24:467-477.
    **This provides an outstanding discussion of the role of abnormalities in the serotonergic system in mediating the risk for suicidal behaviors across psychiatric disorders.
  54. Correa H, Duval F, Mokrani MC, et al. Serotonergic function and suicidal behavior in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2002; 56:75-85.
    *This is a good study addressing the role of serotonergic abnormalities in mediating suicidal behavior in schizophrenia.
  55. Meltzer HY. Treatment of suicidality in schizophrenia [review]. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2001; 932:44-58 discussion, 58-60.
    *This is a good review of the pharmacological treatment of suicidality in schizophrenic illness, with a particular emphasis on the role of clozapine.
  56. Ciapparelli A, Dell'Osso L, Pini S, et al. Clozapine for treatment-refractory schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and psychotic bipolar disorder: a 24-month naturalistic study. J Clin Psychiatry 2000; 61:329-334.
  57. Meltzer HY, Alphs L, Altamura AC, et al. International suicide prevention trial (InterSePT): reduced suicidality in schizophrenia with clozapine treatment. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003; 59:82-91.
  58. Tamam L, Ozpoyraz N. Suicide during clozapine treatment: a case report. Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci 2001; 38:127-132.
  59. Sernyak MJ, Desai R, Stolar M, Rosenheck R. Impact of clozapine on completed suicide. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158:931-937.
    *This is a comprehensive parallel-group controlled, prospective study on the impact of clozapine treatment on rates of completed suicide in schizophrenia.
  60. Peuskens J, Van Baelen B, De Smedt C, Lemmens P. Effect of risperidone on affective symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2000; 15:343-349.
  61. Keck, Jr PE, Strakowski SM, McElroy SL. The efficacy of atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of depressive symptoms, hostility, and suicidality in patients with schizophrenia. J Clin Psychiatry 2000; 61 (Suppl 3): 4-9.
  62. Aleman A, Kahn RS. Effects of the atypical antipsychotic risperidone on hostility and aggression in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of controlled trials. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2001; 11:289-293.
  63. Chakos M, Lieberman J, Hoffman E, et al. Effectiveness of second-generation antipsychotics in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158:518-526.
    *This presents an excellent comparison of available 'atypical' antipsychotics in the treatment of 'treatment-resistant' schizophrenia.
  64. Jibson MD, Tandon R. Treatment of schizophrenia. Psychiatr Clin North Am, Annual of Drug Therapy 2000; 7:83-113.
  65. Khan A, Khan SR, Lenthal RM, Brown WA. Symptom reduction and suicide risk among patients treated with placebo in antipsychotic clinical trials: an analysis of the Food and Drug Administration database. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158:1449-1454.
  66. Fontaine KR, Heo M, Harrigan EP, et al. Estimating the consequences of antipsychotic induced weight gain on health and mortality. Psychiatry Res 2001; 101:277-288.
    *This is an excellent study of the risks and benefits of clozapine treatment for mortality in schizophrenia.
  67. Cunningham Owens DG, Carroll A, Fattah S, et al. A randomized, controlled trial of a brief interventional package for schizophrenic out-patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2001; 103:362-369.
    *This is a sobering study on the impact of an educational intervention on outcome in schizophrenia.
  68. Burgess P, Pirkis J, Morton J, Croke E. Lessons from a comprehensive clinical audit of users of psychiatric services who committed suicide. Psychiatr Serv 2000; 51:1555-1560.
  69. Taiminen T, Huttunen J, Heila H, et al. The Schizophrenia Suicide Risk Scale (SSRS): development and initial validation. Schizophr Res 2001; 47:199-213.
  70. Bleuler E. Dementia praecox or the group of schizophrenias. New York: International Universities Press; 1950. p. 488.