Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background The focus of suicide research changes from traditional risk factors to acute warning signs. Patient self-reported suicidal ideation (SI) is not a reliable measure of acute suicide risk. Presuicidal syndromes such as suicide crisis syndrome (SCS) attempt to describe measurable syn...
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| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933825100308/type/journal_article |
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| author | Linde Melby Karina Høyen Astrid Prestmo Arne Vaaler Tuva Kvithyld Igor Galynker Fredrik Walby Mette Langaas Terje Torgersen |
| author_facet | Linde Melby Karina Høyen Astrid Prestmo Arne Vaaler Tuva Kvithyld Igor Galynker Fredrik Walby Mette Langaas Terje Torgersen |
| author_sort | Linde Melby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract
Background
The focus of suicide research changes from traditional risk factors to acute warning signs. Patient self-reported suicidal ideation (SI) is not a reliable measure of acute suicide risk. Presuicidal syndromes such as suicide crisis syndrome (SCS) attempt to describe measurable syndromes based on warning signs other than SI.
Methods
Seven hundred and ten acutely admitted patients were included in the study. Identification of symptoms describing the five components of SCS was done by performing a retrospective text analysis of the patient records (electronic medical records). Patients were grouped according to high or low level of SCS symptoms. We performed statistical tests for group differences in demographics, traditional risk factors, and clinical variables, including agitation assessed by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale-Excited Component (PANSS-EC).
Results
Seventy-two patients had high levels of SCS symptoms. They reported less SI the last month before admission; suicidality was less relevant for referral, the intake suicide assessment more often concluded with high suicide risk, they were more often referred and admitted involuntarily, and they had higher total scores on PANSS-EC.
Conclusion
The individual SCS symptoms may provide useful information in the evaluation of acute suicide risk at intake. A high level of SCS symptoms suggests more severe conditions. The lower reports among high-level than low-level SCS patients of self-reported SI last month before admission, shows the limitation of using SI as a warning sign. The association between the level of SCS symptoms and PANSS-EC total score suggests that agitation could give valuable additional information for suicide risk assessments.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc997d23b965474dbe033cfd042094dc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc997d23b965474dbe033cfd042094dc2025-08-20T03:16:01ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852025-01-016810.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.10030Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional studyLinde Melby0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2560-9421Karina Høyen1Astrid Prestmo2Arne Vaaler3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4630-1517Tuva Kvithyld4Igor Galynker5https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4122-1470Fredrik Walby6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5154-7397Mette Langaas7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5714-0288Terje Torgersen8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8813-0990Department of Mental Healthcare, https://ror.org/01a4hbq44 St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital , Trondheim, Norway Department of Mental Health, https://ror.org/05xg72x27 Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Mental Healthcare, https://ror.org/01a4hbq44 St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital , Trondheim, Norway Department of Mental Health, https://ror.org/05xg72x27 Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Mental Healthcare, https://ror.org/01a4hbq44 St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital , Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Mental Healthcare, https://ror.org/01a4hbq44 St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital , Trondheim, Norway Department of Mental Health, https://ror.org/05xg72x27 Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Mental Healthcare, https://ror.org/01a4hbq44 St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital , Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, NY, USANational Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (NSSF), https://ror.org/01a4hbq44 Oslo University Hospital , Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Mental Healthcare, https://ror.org/01a4hbq44 St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital , Trondheim, Norway Department of Mental Health, https://ror.org/05xg72x27 Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Trondheim, NorwayAbstract Background The focus of suicide research changes from traditional risk factors to acute warning signs. Patient self-reported suicidal ideation (SI) is not a reliable measure of acute suicide risk. Presuicidal syndromes such as suicide crisis syndrome (SCS) attempt to describe measurable syndromes based on warning signs other than SI. Methods Seven hundred and ten acutely admitted patients were included in the study. Identification of symptoms describing the five components of SCS was done by performing a retrospective text analysis of the patient records (electronic medical records). Patients were grouped according to high or low level of SCS symptoms. We performed statistical tests for group differences in demographics, traditional risk factors, and clinical variables, including agitation assessed by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale-Excited Component (PANSS-EC). Results Seventy-two patients had high levels of SCS symptoms. They reported less SI the last month before admission; suicidality was less relevant for referral, the intake suicide assessment more often concluded with high suicide risk, they were more often referred and admitted involuntarily, and they had higher total scores on PANSS-EC. Conclusion The individual SCS symptoms may provide useful information in the evaluation of acute suicide risk at intake. A high level of SCS symptoms suggests more severe conditions. The lower reports among high-level than low-level SCS patients of self-reported SI last month before admission, shows the limitation of using SI as a warning sign. The association between the level of SCS symptoms and PANSS-EC total score suggests that agitation could give valuable additional information for suicide risk assessments. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933825100308/type/journal_articleagitationrisk factorssuicidal behaviorsuicide crisis syndromewarning signs |
| spellingShingle | Linde Melby Karina Høyen Astrid Prestmo Arne Vaaler Tuva Kvithyld Igor Galynker Fredrik Walby Mette Langaas Terje Torgersen Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional study European Psychiatry agitation risk factors suicidal behavior suicide crisis syndrome warning signs |
| title | Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population, a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | symptoms of the suicide crisis syndrome and associated risk factors in an acute psychiatric population a cross sectional study |
| topic | agitation risk factors suicidal behavior suicide crisis syndrome warning signs |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933825100308/type/journal_article |
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