10-year epidemiological analysis of suicidal behavior of psychiatric patients in Russia

A long-term (10 years) epidemiological study of the suicidal behavior of patients (i.e., those registered by the psychiatric services) in comparison with the suicide levels of the general population at the federal and regional levels, based on official statistics was conducted. There was a decrease by one-third of the level of suicides of the mentally ill patients while the corresponding decrease in the general population was observed at 60%. The suicides of psychiatric patients do not exceed 5% of all suicides in the Russian Federation. The level of parasuicides of patients decreased by 2/3, i.e., below 100. The average ratio between suicides and suicidal attempts (parasuicides) of mentally ill people in the country is 1:4. The variance (“peaks”) suicides and suicidal attempts is associated with epidemiologically infrequent phenomena and a small population of some regions, but long-term analysis indicates trends similar to the general population regarding suicides. Data suggest underdiagnosis of suicidal behavior of psychiatric patients and the need for multilevel targeted treatment and prevention programs for the clinical target group at high risk of suicidal behavior. A scientifically evidence-based approach to substantiate and develop anti-crisis services is the refinement and specification of the epidemiology of suicidal behavior of mentally ill patients within the framework of regional suicidological registers.