Suicidal Behavior Among Schizophrenic Patients

A Study of Suicidal Behavior Among Schizophrenic Patients

This study aimed to; -

1. Study suicidal behavior among sample of schizophrenic patients.
2. Study relation between schizophrenic symptoms and suicidal behavior.
3. Study the relation of mood symptoms in schizophrenic patients and suicidal behavior.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Suicidal Behavior; Schizophrenic Patients
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)

Detailed Description

Suicide is a major public health concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one million people die by suicide each year worldwide. This statistic means that every 40 seconds, someone dies by suicide somewhere on the globe, with many more people making non-lethal suicide attempts. It has been suggested that the number of individuals who attempt suicide without causing death is about 10-15 times the number of those who die by suicide.

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by cognitive impairment and behavioral dysfunction. Patients with schizophrenia are at an elevated risk of self-harm, suicide, and all-cause mortality, which results in a reduction of life expectancy of up to 20 years compared with the general population.

Suicide risk in schizophrenia is notably high, and early detection depends on recognizing and evaluating clinical manifestations of depression, despair, and hopelessness, as well as the nature and severity of the psychotic experience, particularly in recently diagnosed patients with higher cognitive function and educational backgrounds.

There is a lack of studies on suicidal behaviors in schizophrenic patients in Arab countries. A study on overall suicidality in Arab countries reported a lifetime suicide attempt rate of 0.72%-6.3% and a suicide ideation rate of 2.09%-13.9%. More research is needed in this area due to the societal and economic costs of suicidal behavior in schizophrenic patients. This issue is a high priority for public health. Several trials have aimed to identify valid predictors of suicide risk. These predictors could not only help reduce the mortality associated with suicidality but also enable a more rational allocation of resources for treatment. Previous suicide attempts, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and akathisia have been identified as reliable predictors of suicidal behavior.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 60

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • El-Gharbia
    • Tanta, El-Gharbia, Egypt, 31527
      • Tanta University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This cross-sectional study was carried out on patients diagnosed with schizophrenia recruited from inpatient and outpatient services of the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Center of Psychiatry, Neurology, Tanta University Hospitals, Egypt.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age between 18 and 60.
2. Both females and males will be included.
3. All patients should meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for schizophrenia.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any neurological disorder.
2. Past history of head trauma.
3. Medical or autoimmune disorders.
4. Other psychiatric disorders e. g. bipolar disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety.
5. Pregnancy.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Group A; Patients with schizophrenia. They had a current history of suicide ideation or attempt.	Other: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5); Psychiatric interview for diagnosis of schizophrenia by SCID 5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2015), The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is a semi structured interview guide for making the major DSM-5 diagnoses using the chapter of schizophrenia spectrum
Group B; Patients with schizophrenia without any history of neither suicide ideation nor attempt.	Other: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5); Psychiatric interview for diagnosis of schizophrenia by SCID 5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2015), The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is a semi structured interview guide for making the major DSM-5 diagnoses using the chapter of schizophrenia spectrum

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Severity of Suicidal Ideation	Assessed using the Arabic version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), which includes 21 statement groups rated on a 3-point scale. The total score ranges from 0 to 38, with higher scores indicating more severe suicidal ideation.	Within 1 week prior to assessment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Severity of Schizophrenia Symptoms	Measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), which assesses positive, negative, and general psychopathology symptoms. Higher scores reflect greater symptom severity.	Within 7 days
Severity of Depressive Symptoms	Measured using the Arabic version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17). Total scores classify depression as mild, moderate, severe, or very severe.	Within 7 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tanta University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 30, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 30, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): March 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 21, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 21, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): August 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): August 28, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 21, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 35394/4/22

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author after the end of study for one year.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: After the end of study for one year.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No