Francesco Vadini1, Giulio Calella2, Alessandro Pieri3, Elena Ricci4, Mario Fulcheri5, Maria Cristina Verrocchio5, Alfredo De Risio6, Antonina Sciacca3, Francesca Santilli7, Giustino Parruti8. 1. Psychoinfectivology Service, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy; Infectious Diseases Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy. 2. Penitentiary Medicine Unit, ASL Pescara, Italy; Infectious Diseases Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy. 3. Infectious Diseases Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy. 4. Department of Infectious Diseases, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy. 5. Department of Psychological, Health, and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy. 6. Correctional Psychology Unit, Department of Mental Health, ASL RM 6, Rome, Italy; The Italian Society for Prison Health and Medicine (SIMSPe), Italy. 7. Department of Medicine and Aging and Center of Excellence on Aging, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy. 8. Psychoinfectivology Service, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy; Infectious Diseases Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy. Electronic address: parrutig@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Worldwide, prisoners are at high risk of suicide. Reducing the number of suicides in jails and prisons is an international priority. Several risk factors for suicide attempts, such as historical, prison-related, psychosocial and clinical factors, have been found in prisoners. We assessed whether demographic, conviction-related and neuro-behavioral variables might be associated with current suicide risk and lifetime suicide attempts in two large central Italy prisons. METHODS: On a preliminary sample of 254 detainees within an ongoing project, we assessed whether demographic, conviction-related, psychiatric, cognitive variables and illness comorbidity might be associated with current suicide risk and lifetime suicide attempts in two large central Italy prisons. Psychiatric disorders and suicide risk was evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. We also have identified the detainees with clear-cut previous suicide attempts. The cognitive function was assessed with a brief neuropsychological battery including trail making A, trail making B, Digit Span, and Symbol Digit test. Impulsivity was assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Cumulative illness was evaluated with Charlson Comorbidity Index. RESULTS: Impairment in global cognitive function was the strongest predictor of both high suicide risk and lifetime suicide attempts (both p < 0.001), independently of psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacological treatment, detention status, conviction time, substance use disorder, impulsivity, and illness comorbidity. Limitation LIMITATION: Cross-sectional study design and relatively small sample size. CONCLUSION: Cognitive deficits may improve our understanding of the suicidal vulnerability and should be systematically included in the assessment of suicide risk, as potential predictors of suicidal acts and targets of preventive interventions.
BACKGROUND: Worldwide, prisoners are at high risk of suicide. Reducing the number of suicides in jails and prisons is an international priority. Several risk factors for suicide attempts, such as historical, prison-related, psychosocial and clinical factors, have been found in prisoners. We assessed whether demographic, conviction-related and neuro-behavioral variables might be associated with current suicide risk and lifetime suicide attempts in two large central Italy prisons. METHODS: On a preliminary sample of 254 detainees within an ongoing project, we assessed whether demographic, conviction-related, psychiatric, cognitive variables and illness comorbidity might be associated with current suicide risk and lifetime suicide attempts in two large central Italy prisons. Psychiatric disorders and suicide risk was evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. We also have identified the detainees with clear-cut previous suicide attempts. The cognitive function was assessed with a brief neuropsychological battery including trail making A, trail making B, Digit Span, and Symbol Digit test. Impulsivity was assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Cumulative illness was evaluated with Charlson Comorbidity Index. RESULTS: Impairment in global cognitive function was the strongest predictor of both high suicide risk and lifetime suicide attempts (both p < 0.001), independently of psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacological treatment, detention status, conviction time, substance use disorder, impulsivity, and illness comorbidity. Limitation LIMITATION: Cross-sectional study design and relatively small sample size. CONCLUSION:Cognitive deficits may improve our understanding of the suicidal vulnerability and should be systematically included in the assessment of suicide risk, as potential predictors of suicidal acts and targets of preventive interventions.
Authors: Lisa C Barry; David C Steffens; Kenneth E Covinsky; Yeates Conwell; Yixia Li; Amy L Byers Journal: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2018-07-21 Impact factor: 4.105
Authors: S B Rutter; N Cipriani; E C Smith; E Ramjas; D H Vaccaro; M Martin Lopez; W R Calabrese; D Torres; P Campos-Abraham; M Llaguno; E Soto; M Ghavami; M M Perez-Rodriguez Journal: Curr Top Behav Neurosci Date: 2020