Decision making worse in suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders

There is a link between poor decision making and suicidal tendencies in patients with unipolar depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, according to Dr. Stéphane Richard-Devantoy and his associates.

In the first part of the study, suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders took the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), as did a control group of non–suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders. IGT scores were significantly worse in the suicide-attempting group, compared with the control group, with most of the difference coming from patients with unipolar disorder. Women who attempted suicide also had significantly worse IGT scores than did male suicide attempters.

In a subsequent meta-analysis of 10 studies and 1,148 participants, impaired decision making in suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders, compared with nonattempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders was confirmed with a moderate effect size. The effect size was moderate between unipolar suicide attempters and a healthy control group, and large between bipolar suicide attempters and a healthy control group.

“Examination of sex differences in brain functioning appears to be necessary in [the] suicide field. Indeed, females consistently attempt suicide more than males,whereas males consistently die by suicide more frequently than females. In spite of the important role gender plays in the expression of suicidal behavior, the perspective of future tailor-made therapeutic modalities in suicide attempters is needed,” the investigators noted.

Find the full study in the Journal of Affective Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.001).

[email protected]

There is a link between poor decision making and suicidal tendencies in patients with unipolar depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, according to Dr. Stéphane Richard-Devantoy and his associates.

In the first part of the study, suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders took the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), as did a control group of non–suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders. IGT scores were significantly worse in the suicide-attempting group, compared with the control group, with most of the difference coming from patients with unipolar disorder. Women who attempted suicide also had significantly worse IGT scores than did male suicide attempters.

In a subsequent meta-analysis of 10 studies and 1,148 participants, impaired decision making in suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders, compared with nonattempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders was confirmed with a moderate effect size. The effect size was moderate between unipolar suicide attempters and a healthy control group, and large between bipolar suicide attempters and a healthy control group.

“Examination of sex differences in brain functioning appears to be necessary in [the] suicide field. Indeed, females consistently attempt suicide more than males,whereas males consistently die by suicide more frequently than females. In spite of the important role gender plays in the expression of suicidal behavior, the perspective of future tailor-made therapeutic modalities in suicide attempters is needed,” the investigators noted.

Find the full study in the Journal of Affective Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.001).

[email protected]

There is a link between poor decision making and suicidal tendencies in patients with unipolar depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, according to Dr. Stéphane Richard-Devantoy and his associates.

In the first part of the study, suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders took the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), as did a control group of non–suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders. IGT scores were significantly worse in the suicide-attempting group, compared with the control group, with most of the difference coming from patients with unipolar disorder. Women who attempted suicide also had significantly worse IGT scores than did male suicide attempters.

In a subsequent meta-analysis of 10 studies and 1,148 participants, impaired decision making in suicide attempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders, compared with nonattempters with unipolar and bipolar disorders was confirmed with a moderate effect size. The effect size was moderate between unipolar suicide attempters and a healthy control group, and large between bipolar suicide attempters and a healthy control group.

“Examination of sex differences in brain functioning appears to be necessary in [the] suicide field. Indeed, females consistently attempt suicide more than males,whereas males consistently die by suicide more frequently than females. In spite of the important role gender plays in the expression of suicidal behavior, the perspective of future tailor-made therapeutic modalities in suicide attempters is needed,” the investigators noted.

Find the full study in the Journal of Affective Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.001).

[email protected]