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Axis I disorders and personality disorders as risk factors for suicide

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Abstract

There is a lack of psychological autopsy studies assessing the influence of axis I disorders on axis II disorders as risk factors for suicide. Therefore, we investigated the association between personality disorders, axis I disorders, and suicide. Psychiatric disorders were evaluated by a semi–structured interview including the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV Axis I (SCID–I) and Personality Disorders (SCID–II) in 163 completed suicides (mean age 49.6 ± 19.3 years; 64.4% men) and by personal interview in 396 populationbased control persons (mean age 51.6 ± 17.0 years; 55.8% men). In both genders, suicides significantly more often had personality disorders of all clusters than controls, also after adjustment for axis I disorders (p < 0.001, each). In addition, alcohol–related disorders, major depression, and co–occurrence of personality disorders of more than one cluster (men: OR = 16.13; women: OR = 20.43) remained independent predictors for suicide in both genders,"pure" cluster B personality disorders only in women and "pure" cluster C personality disorders only in men. In both genders, co–occurrence of personality disorders of more than one cluster contributed to risk of completed suicide after control for axis I psychiatric disorders and has to be considered as an independent risk factor for suicide.

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  1. Center of Psychiatry Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

    B. Schneider, T. Wetterling, D. Sargk, F. Schneider, K. Maurer & J. Fritze

  2. Center of Forensic Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

    A. Schnabel

  3. Vivantes Klinikum Hellersdorf, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy-Gerontopsychiatry, Berlin, Germany

    T. Wetterling

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Schneider, B., Wetterling, T., Sargk, D. et al. Axis I disorders and personality disorders as risk factors for suicide. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 256, 17–27 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-005-0593-7

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