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Zhang Y, Wang H, Liu L. Risk factors of suicide-related events in patients with epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Seizure 2024; 120:72-82. [PMID: 38908144 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2024.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the risk factors for suicide-related events (SRE) in patients with epilepsy (PWE). METHODS The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Online Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched for relevant articles published from 1946 to August 30, 2022. The quality of the extracted articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Subsequently, a meta-analysis of PWE was performed to calculate the random-effects pooled odds ratios (ORs) for studies investigating the association between suicide and its associated risk factors. All statistical analyses were performed using R version 4.1.0. RESULTS A total of 2,803 studies were screened, of which 23 articles comprising 6,723 PWE were included in our meta-analysis. Female sex (odds ratio [OR]=1.24, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.43), low quality of life (QOL) scores (standardized mean difference [SMD]= -0.89, CI: -1.17 - -0.61), poor social support (OR=3.44, CI: 1.83-6.46), unemployment (OR=1.82, CI: 1.40-2.38), unmarried status (OR=1.48, CI: 1.12-1.97), low income (OR=1.37, CI: 1.07-1.76), low education (OR=1.33, CI: 1.04-1.68), use of antidepressant drugs (OR=7.77, CI: 3.17-19.03), uncontrolled seizures (OR=2.28, CI: 1.63-3.18), use of multiple antiepileptic drugs (OR=1.70, CI: 1.33-2.18), early age at onset of epilepsy (SMD= -0.15, CI: -0.30 - -0.0002), depression (OR=6.85, CI: 4.88-9.62), and anxiety (OR=3.76, CI: 2.92-4.84) were identified as significant risk factors of SRE. SIGNIFICANCE There are many risk factors for SRE in PWE, as outlined above. Interventions targeting these risk factors may help reduce the risk of SRE in PWE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Wai Nan Guo Xue Lane 37#, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China; Department of Neurology, Chengdu Shangjin Nanfu Hospital, Shang Jin Road 253 Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Haijiao Wang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Wai Nan Guo Xue Lane 37#, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China; Department of Neurology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.138 Tong Zipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha City, PR China
| | - Ling Liu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Wai Nan Guo Xue Lane 37#, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China.
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Costanza A, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Escelsior A, Serafini G, Berardelli I, Pompili M, Amore M. When Sick Brain and Hopelessness Meet: Some Aspects of Suicidality in the Neurological Patient. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS-DRUG TARGETS 2021; 19:257-263. [PMID: 32525785 PMCID: PMC7569280 DOI: 10.2174/1871527319666200611130804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurological diseases expose individuals to a higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior, including completed suicides and suicide attempts. They also represent a paradigmatic arena to study the etiopathogenic mechanisms underlying suicidality because they are emblematic of the heterogeneity and complexity of mutual interrelationships characterizing this issue. On the one hand, neurological diseases imply strictly biological impairments that are postulated to be the basis of vulnerability to suicide or result in the need for treatments for which a suicidal risk has been hypothesized. On the other hand, they question some subjective experiences of neurological patients, up to near existential positions. Often, in fact, they are accompanied by severe hopelessness. The latter may originate in, particularly for the most severe neurological diseases, the absence of curative treatments, unpredictable disease progression that leads to acute relapses or chronicity, a decrease in autonomy or selfidentity, progressive social isolation, a sense of becoming useless, and perception of feeling stigmatized. This may ultimately cause a slip into experiencing an absurd condition. At the confluence of neurobiology and hopelessness, frequent psychiatric comorbidities may play a primary role. To conclude, neurological patients require special attention from clinicians in form of openly verbalizing and exploring the suicidal thematic, inquiring about protective and risk factors, and promptly initiating both a psychopharmacological treatment and, where possible, psychological support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.,Mood Disorders Program, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Escelsior
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabella Berardelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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Gudi SK, Jahan Q. Anti-seizure medications and risk of suicide: Re-addressing the issue. Int J Clin Pract 2021; 75:e14194. [PMID: 33829615 DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.14194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although suicidal behaviour in epilepsy is a complex phenomenon, evidence suggests that suicide rates are higher amongst individuals with epilepsy than the general population. Yet, it has been a decade since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has passed a warning with anti-seizure medications (ASMs) and risk of suicide, the scientific community is still far from a final answer to this association. Since the available data are not methodologically strong enough to support or reject the claimed increased risk of suicide using ASMs, the dilemma continues. Through this perspective, authors sought to list certain important issues that the past studies often over-looked, which play a vital role in determining the true relationship between the use of ASMs and the risk of suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Krishna Gudi
- College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Information Management & Analytics, Epidemiology and Surveillance, Health, Seniors and Active Living, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Qaiser Jahan
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Talla Padmavathi College of Pharmacy, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Telangana, India
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Lin M, Chen J, Li S, Qin Y, Wang X, Liu Y, Abdulaziz ATA, Liu W, Zhou D, Li J. Risk factors for suicidal tendency in people with epilepsy in China: a case-control study. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2742. [PMID: 33531579 PMCID: PMC7854730 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81870-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
People with epilepsy (PWE) have an increased suicide prevalence. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for suicidal tendency among PWE in West China. A nested case–control study was designed in a cohort of patients with epilepsy (n = 2087). In total, 28 variates were calculated. In the univariate analysis, unemployment, low income, seizure frequency, seizure-free time, infectious or structural etiology, levetiracetam or phenobarbital use, anxiety, depression, and stigma were associated with suicidal tendency. A multivariate analysis indicated that unemployment (odds ratio [OR] 5.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.13–15.48), levetiracetam use (OR 2.80, 95%CI 1.11–7.05), depression (C-NDDI-E score ≥ 13; OR 3.21, 95%CI 1.26–8.21), and stigma (SSCI score ≥ 16; OR 6.67, 95%CI 1.80–24.69) were independently associated with suicidal tendency. Conditional inference tree analysis indicated that SSCI and C-NDDI-E scores could effectively identify patients with suicidal tendency. Thus, this study suggests that unemployment, levetiracetam use, depression, and stigma are independent risk factors for suicidal tendency in PWE in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mintao Lin
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiani Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Sisi Li
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingjie Qin
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuruan Wang
- West China Medical School, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yadong Liu
- West China Medical School, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ammar Taha Abdullah Abdulaziz
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyu Liu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinmei Li
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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Sheikh SR, Thompson N, Frech F, Malhotra M, Jehi L. Quantifying the burden of generalized tonic-clonic seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsia 2020; 61:1627-1637. [PMID: 32658343 DOI: 10.1111/epi.16603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Compared to other seizure types, generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizures may be disproportionately related to increased morbidity, and reducing seizure frequency could translate into improvements across measures of morbidity in medically treated patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). The primary objective of this analysis was to quantify the burden of patients with DRE who experience GTC seizures (GTC+) compared to patients with DRE who do not experience GTC seizures (GTC-). METHODS Adult patients from the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center-Neurological Institute from 2012-2016 with DRE with epilepsy for at least 1 year were eligible for inclusion and were divided into GTC ± groups based on whether the patient had experienced a GTC seizure in the year preceding the first visit. Epilepsy duration, comorbidities, antiepileptic drug use, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and seizure type, frequency, and etiology were captured. Generalized linear models, negative binomial regression, logistic regression, and linear regression were used as appropriate for multivariate analyses. RESULTS A total of 379 patients met inclusion criteria and had data at 1-year follow-up after their baseline visit (192 GTC+ and 187 GTC-). Although DRE patients experiencing GTC seizures had fewer seizures per day over the preceding 6 months than those not experiencing GTC seizures, seizure severity and levels of depression and anxiety were greater. GTC+ patients who reported five or more seizures in the preceding 4 weeks had 82% lower odds (1-0.18 = 0.82) of working than patients with no seizures. SIGNIFICANCE Patients with DRE experience a significant burden and decreased quality of life. Multivariate analysis is necessary to understand the complex relationship between seizure type, frequency, and impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and changes over time. Effective treatments to reduce the burden for DRE patients who experience GTC seizures continue to be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shehryar R Sheikh
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nicholas Thompson
- Cleveland clinic neurological institute, Cleveland clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Feride Frech
- Neurology Business Group, Eisai, Inc., Woodcliff Lake, NJ, USA
| | - Manoj Malhotra
- Neurology Business Group, Eisai, Inc., Woodcliff Lake, NJ, USA
| | - Lara Jehi
- Cleveland clinic neurological institute, Cleveland clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Serafini G, Lamis DA, Aguglia A, Amerio A, Nebbia J, Geoffroy PA, Pompili M, Amore M. Hopelessness and its correlates with clinical outcomes in an outpatient setting. J Affect Disord 2020; 263:472-479. [PMID: 31969280 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study examined whether patients with hopelessness and those without may significantly differ regarding their main presentations and clinical course in a large Italian population. METHODS The recruited sample included 583 currently euthymic outpatients with major affective disorders. The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) assessed hopelessness using a cutoff score of 9 or higher. Participants were categorized based on the presence/absence of hopelessness. A binary logistic regression analysis -accounting for age and gender and considering history of psychotherapy, emotional/physical abuse, depressive symptoms, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) total score, difficulties identifying and communicating feelings as potential predictors- was carried out in order to detect the variables associated with hopelessness. RESULTS Individuals with hopelessness, compared to those without, were more likely to be older (p=0.005), females (p=0.01), to have a unipolar depressive disorder (p≤0.05), be prescribed antidepressants and psychotherapy in the past (p=0.001 and p≤0.05). Moreover, individuals with hopelessness scored higher on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (p≤0.05) and on the emotional (p=<0.001), physical abuse (p≤0.01) and physical neglect (p≤0.05) subscales of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short form, and reported more difficulties identifying (p≤0.001) and communicating feelings (p≤0.001) than those without hopelessness. The multivariate analysis showed that having difficulties identifying feelings is independently associated with hopelessness. DISCUSSION These findings indicate that individuals with difficulties identifying feelings are at higher risk of hopelessness and of negative outcomes. Further studies need to explore the impact of alexithymia on hopelessness and clinical outcomes in the lifetime illness course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Dorian A Lamis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy; Mood Disorders Program, Tufs Medical center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jacopo Nebbia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Pierre Alexis Geoffroy
- Departement de psychiatrie et d'addictologie, AP-HP, Hopital Bichat - Claude Bernard, F-75018 Paris, France; Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, F-75019 Paris, France
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant Andrea Hospital, University of Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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Zinchuk MS, Avedisova AS, Pashnin EV, Voinova NI, Guekht AB. [Suicidological research in epilepsy: problems of methodology]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2019; 119:23-28. [PMID: 32207727 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro201911911223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The review highlights contemporary views on the problem of suicide in patients with epilepsy. The most relevant theories are presented that describe the emergence of suicidal thoughts and the transition to suicidal attempts. Along with a description of risk factors, protective factors, as well as the possible impact of comorbidity, a description of methodological deficiencies in papers on suicide in patients with epilepsy is given. Recommendations for studies related to suicidal behaviour in patients with epilepsy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Zinchuk
- Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia
| | - A S Avedisova
- Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - E V Pashnin
- Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia
| | - N I Voinova
- Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia
| | - A B Guekht
- Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry, Moscow, Russia; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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Gur-Ozmen S, Mula M, Agrawal N, Cock HR, Lozsadi D, von Oertzen TJ. The effect of depression and side effects of antiepileptic drugs on injuries in patients with epilepsy. Eur J Neurol 2017; 24:1135-1139. [PMID: 28727274 DOI: 10.1111/ene.13346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE People with epilepsy are at increased risk of accidents and injuries but, despite several studies on this subject, data regarding preventable causes are still contradictory. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between injuries, side effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and depression. METHODS Data from a consecutive sample of adult patients with epilepsy attending the outpatient clinics at St George's University Hospital in London were included. All patients were asked if they had had any injury since the last clinic appointment and completed the Liverpool Adverse Event Profile (LAEP) and Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy. RESULTS Among 407 patients (243 females, mean age 43.1 years), 71 (17.4%) reported injuries since the last appointment. A two-step cluster analysis revealed two clusters with the major cluster (53.5% of the injured group) showing a total score for LAEP ≥45, a positive Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy screening and presence of AED polytherapy. A total score for LAEP ≥45 was the most important predictor. CONCLUSIONS Antiepileptic drug treatment should be reviewed in patients reporting injuries in order to evaluate the potential contribution and burden of AED side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Gur-Ozmen
- Epilepsy Group, Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London
| | - M Mula
- Epilepsy Group, Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust, London.,Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - N Agrawal
- Epilepsy Group, Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust, London.,Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - H R Cock
- Epilepsy Group, Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London.,Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - D Lozsadi
- Epilepsy Group, Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London.,Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - T J von Oertzen
- Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, UK.,Department of Neurology 1, Kepler Universitätsklinik, Linz, Austria
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Fralick M, Thiruchelvam D, Tien HC, Redelmeier DA. Risk of suicide after a concussion. CMAJ 2016; 188:497-504. [PMID: 26858348 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.150790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Head injuries have been associated with subsequent suicide among military personnel, but outcomes after a concussion in the community are uncertain. We assessed the long-term risk of suicide after concussions occurring on weekends or weekdays in the community. METHODS We performed a longitudinal cohort analysis of adults with diagnosis of a concussion in Ontario, Canada, from Apr. 1, 1992, to Mar. 31, 2012 (a 20-yr period), excluding severe cases that resulted in hospital admission. The primary outcome was the long-term risk of suicide after a weekend or weekday concussion. RESULTS We identified 235,110 patients with a concussion. Their mean age was 41 years, 52% were men, and most (86%) lived in an urban location. A total of 667 subsequent suicides occurred over a median follow-up of 9.3 years, equivalent to 31 deaths per 100,000 patients annually or 3 times the population norm. Weekend concussions were associated with a one-third further increased risk of suicide compared with weekday concussions (relative risk 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.14-1.64). The increased risk applied regardless of patients' demographic characteristics, was independent of past psychiatric conditions, became accentuated with time and exceeded the risk among military personnel. Half of these patients had visited a physician in the last week of life. INTERPRETATION Adults with a diagnosis of concussion had an increased long-term risk of suicide, particularly after concussions on weekends. Greater attention to the long-term care of patients after a concussion in the community might save lives because deaths from suicide can be prevented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Fralick
- Department of Medicine (Fralick, Redelmeier), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences (Fralick, Thiruchelvam, Tien, Redelmeier), Sunnybrook Research Institute; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Thiruchelvam); Canadian Forces Health Services (Tien), Toronto, Ont
| | - Deva Thiruchelvam
- Department of Medicine (Fralick, Redelmeier), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences (Fralick, Thiruchelvam, Tien, Redelmeier), Sunnybrook Research Institute; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Thiruchelvam); Canadian Forces Health Services (Tien), Toronto, Ont
| | - Homer C Tien
- Department of Medicine (Fralick, Redelmeier), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences (Fralick, Thiruchelvam, Tien, Redelmeier), Sunnybrook Research Institute; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Thiruchelvam); Canadian Forces Health Services (Tien), Toronto, Ont
| | - Donald A Redelmeier
- Department of Medicine (Fralick, Redelmeier), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences (Fralick, Thiruchelvam, Tien, Redelmeier), Sunnybrook Research Institute; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Thiruchelvam); Canadian Forces Health Services (Tien), Toronto, Ont.
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