Suicidal behavior as a risk factor of social danger in patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorders

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between a history of suicidal behavior and the characteristics of criminal aggression in patients with schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: 276 patients with schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder who committed socially dangerous acts and underwent a forensic psychiatric examination at the Federal State Budget Scientific Research Center after V.P. Serbsky. All examined patients had a history of suicidal attempts. The study used clinical, psychopathological and psychometric methods. The clinical symptoms of schizophrenia were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Depending on the severity of the committed illegal act, the subjects were divided into two groups: I - with manifestations of heteroagression and II -without it. Mathematical data processing was performed using SPSS-Statistics and Statistica 12 programs. Results: It was found that the characteristics of suicidal behavior of group I patients significantly differed by higher rates of the commission of the first auto-aggression act at the age of 26-30, at the initial stages of the disease, the prevalence of true suicidal attempts, their association with the use of alcoholic beverages, shorter intervals between suicidal and criminal actions compared with II group patients...