Schizophrenia Spectrum and Psychotic Disorders

Suicide, Violence Risks in Schizophrenia Patients Appear to Grow

Long-term study finds rates of suicide, early death and violent crime continue to increase over time in patients with schizophrenia.

The risk of suicide and early death is higher among people with schizophrenia and related conditions, and appears to be growing, according to recent research.

It is already known that people with schizophrenia have increased risks for suicide, early death, and committing violent crime. But little is known about the risk factors for these outcomes, and whether they are modifiable, said Dr. Seena Fazel, at Oxford University, UK, and colleagues.

They used information from Sweden on 24,297 patients with schizophrenia and related disorders. They were compared against 485,940 similar people without those conditions and 26,357 unaffected siblings. Siblings were used in order to take into account family risk factors such as parental criminality or violence.

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