Positive and Negative Symptoms as Risk Factors for Later Suicidal Activity in Schizophrenics Versus Depressives

Seventy schizophrenia patients and 97 depressives were studied prospectively while in the hospital and at periodic follow-ups. Positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and post-hospital functioning were assessed at the 2-year follow-up; and suicidal activity, at the 7.5-year follow-up. The results support an interactive model of suicide risk. Psychotic symptoms (i.e., hallucinations, delusions) predict later suicidal activity only for the schizophrenia patients. Deficit symptoms (psychomotor retardation, concreteness) predict later suicidal activity only for the depressive group. Adequacy of overall functioning predicts later suicidal activity for both diagnostic groups and appears to mediate the effects of psychosis in the schizophrenia group.