Clinical Correlates of Suicide in Suicidal Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Affective Disorders.

BACKGROUND: The most common psychiatric illnesses in the background of suicide are schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and affective disorders (AD). While depression and hopelessness are important factors for suicide in psychiatric patients, the role of psychotic symptoms is unclear. We examine the comparative differences in the clinical correlates of suicide in SSD and AD patients with suicidal risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty suicidal psychiatric patients (aged between 17-60 years) were evaluated for depression severity, hopelessness, past attempts, and reasons for wanting to commit suicide at the emergency psychiatry centre. Of these 29% had SSD, 65% AD, and 6% other disorders. RESULTS: Lifetime history of suicide attempts and suicide attempts in previous month were higher in SSD patients. Mean Beck Depression scores, Hopelessness, and Suicide Intention scores were significantly lower in patients with SSD as compared to AD (P ≤ 0.05). More than 60% patients with SSD attributed psychotic symptoms as a reason for wanting to commit suicide, while more than 50% patients with AD attributed it to family and personal stressors (P ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with suicidal ideations were significantly different between SSD and AD patients. Hence, suicide prevention strategies should be based on the specific risk factors for each group, SSD and AD.

An exploratory study for bladder dysfunction in atypical antipsychotic-emergent urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION: This is an exploratory study, which aimed to analyze urodynamic findings in patients who are on atypical antipsychotics and present with urinary incontinence (UI) in order to understand the mechanisms of antipsychotic-emergent UI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight patients (34 ± 7.6 years; five males and three females) diagnosed with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, who were on risperidone, olanzapine, or clozapine monotherapy and having UI were recruited. Urodynamic study was performed in all patients. RESULTS: Six out of eight (75%) patients had abnormal urodynamic findings. Three of them had detrusor overactivity (DO) without detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia (DSD); two had DO with DSD; and one had hypoactive detrusor with nonrelaxing sphincter during void phase. The common urinary symptoms were urgency, enuresis, and straining to void urine. Significant postvoid residual urine was found in two patients. CONCLUSION: The evidence of bladder dysfunction in atypical antipsychotic-emergent UI is similar to that present in patients with neurological disorders. Urinary complaints in patients on antipsychotics thus need to be evaluated and managed systematically using the protocol followed for neurological conditions.