Associations between lifetime mental disorders and suicidal behaviors: findings from the Taiwan psychiatry morbidity survey

Factors associated with lifetime history of eating disorder in non-psychotic patients with suicidal ideation

BACKGROUND

Data on the sociodemographic, biographical, and clinical factors associated with a lifetime diagnosis of eating disorders (ED) in patients with non-psychotic mental disorders (NPMD) and suicidal ideation (SI) are scarce.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted at the Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry. The sample consisted of consecutive patients with non-psychotic mental disorders and SI, aged 1845 years. Participants with a lifetime diagnosis of anorexia and/or bulimia (then in remission or recovery) were compared with those without ED in terms of their sociodemographic profile, clinical characteristics, lifetime traumatic events, and some behavioral patterns. All participants underwent the Russian version of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview and completed the Brief Reasons for Living Inventory, the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory.

RESULTS

A total of 892 patients with non-psychotic mental disorders and SI were included in the study. The mean age was 25.7 years, and 84% were assigned female at birth. Same-sex experience was more common in the ED group. Patients with an ED were more likely to have a history of physical and sexual abuse and to have witnessed domestic violence. The proportion of participants with piercings, tattoos, or severe body modifications was significantly higher in the ED group. Patients with a lifetime ED were more likely to engage in nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors and to have a history of suicide attempts.

CONCLUSION

Lifetime ED in NPMD patients with SI is associated with younger age, being assigned female at birth, having an alternative gender identity, having same-sex experience, having more than one psychiatric diagnosis, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, experiencing severe depression and anxiety, being exposed to multiple traumatic experiences, having various body modifications, practicing NSSI, and having a lifetime story of suicide attempts.

Psychiatric and Psychosocial Factors of Suicide Decedents and Survivor of Suicide Loss: Psychological Autopsy Study of Incheon City in South Korea

In South Korea, the suicide rate is more than double the OECD average, and precise identification of the cause is required for suicide prevention. Psychological autopsy is used to reveal factors related to suicidal behavior; however, such studies are lacking in Korea. This study investigated the factors related to suicide using psychological autopsies in Incheon, a major city in Korea. In total, 46 cases were investigated using the Korea-Psychological Autopsy Checklist (K-PAC), and data on mental health conditions and psychosocial factors of suicide decedents and their families were analyzed. It was estimated that 87% of individuals of suicides had a mental health condition before death, but only 15.2% continued treatment or counseling. Most individuals who died of suicide showed warning signs before death, but only 19.6% of survivors of suicide loss noticed them. Mental health concerns before and after the death of the individual were also identified in more than half of their families. To prevent suicide, intensive and continuous treatment for psychiatric conditions and prompt recognition of active response to suicide warning signs are required. Care for the mental health of family members is also important.