Suicide rate for people with this illness is 170 times higher. Here’s why
Over the last few days, there has been a lot of conversations surrounding mental health and suicide prevention. Estimates say that roughly 8,00,000 people die by suicide every year, with one death being reported every 40 seconds. In India, suicide is said to be the most common cause of death in the age group of 15–29 years.
02/7Certain people are at a higher risk of dying by suicide
While suicide is preventable, there are certain situations and conditions which make the chances of someone taking his life a little higher. A recent study published found that the suicide rates for those suffering from schizophrenia was found to be 170 times higher than others.
The findings of the same were published in the journal Schizophrenia Research.
03/7The study
The one-of-a-kind study, which collated data over 20 years of time was conducted on over 75,000 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, a mental disorder. The researchers followed the patients’ life journey for 10 years since they first heard the prognosis.
04/7What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a mental illness which impairs a person’s ability to perceive, think, react or behave to certain situations. Even though there is no one certain cause which fuels schizophrenia, it is believed that a combination of factors, including genetic modifications, changes in brain chemistry or structure, or a traumatic incident can lead to the condition. Certain environmental factors or stressful situations can also trigger schizophrenia.
Since schizophrenia is a disorder which can make people behave abnormally, it can interfere with daily functioning, and hence, people suffering from the illness are put on life-long treatment.
05/7How does schizophrenia affect someone?
Experts also say that illness can affect a patient in different ways. Thee are five main types of schizophrenia which are categorised as paranoid, undifferentiated, residual, simple and hebephrenic schizophrenia.
Since the symptoms of the illness, such as disorientation, hallucination, amnesia, memory loss, impaired motor coordination, depression, elevated or decreased mood functioning all gradually set in, it’s important to attend to the symptoms very early on so that the quality of life isn’t ruined.
06/7Who is more at risk?
Further, the study also observed that some of the symptoms which kick in the early years post-diagnosis, including depression and manic behaviour (which also lead to hospitalization) can heavily disrupt the quality of life and act as a precursor for a patient to consider taking their life. Mood disorder was found to be one prime cause heavily linked to high suicide rates.
It was also observed that for those diagnosed with schizophrenia at a later stage were most susceptible to taking their lives.
07/7What can be done to prevent it?
Hence, what researchers feel is that a part of treatment for schizophrenia and other schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), suicide prevention measures, early hospitalization should be made a part of the plan to lower death rates.
“What this study teaches is us that although people with SSD are at higher risk for suicide, we can target those at the highest risk with changes in policy and treatment,” said lead author Dr Juveria Zaheer, Clinician Scientist at the CAMH Institute for Mental Health Policy Research.
The experts involved in the study also said that some of the other measures which can be made part of the plan include follow-ups, improving quality of life, working to cut down on stigma.