Making sense of alcohol policies on youth self-destructive behavior as part of suicide.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Maurizio Pompili.
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Suicide is the single major cause of death among patients with schizophrenia. Follow-up studies have estimated that 10-13% of these patients die by suicide. Various studies have identified risk factors for suicide in schizophrenic patients which are of great value for prediction and prevention of self-inflicted death. Despite great efforts, both on the side of drug treatment and psychosocial strategies, the number of suicides among schizophrenic patients has remained unchanged. We focus on a number of issues that are of paramount importance for the understanding and prevention of suicide in these patients, pointing to the need of supporting programs addressed to families and to establish a valid doctor-patient relationship with these patients both during consultation with psychiatrists or general practitioners and with medical staff during inpatient treatment.
Personality disorders are a considerable risk factor for suicidal behavior. In psychological autopsy studies, individuals with personality disorders are frequently found among suicide victims. Suicidal attempts (which are a major risk factor for completed suicide) are also an important issue among affected patients. We performed careful MedLine, Excerpta Medica, PsycLit and PsycINFO searches from 1980 to 2004. Search terms were "suicide", "personality disorders", "mortality", "follow-up". We identified studies dealing with suicide and the following areas of interest: borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, comorbidity (especially with affective disorder and substance abuse disorder) and risk factors for suicide in personality disorders. Despite the fact that comorbidity with DSM-IV Axis I disorders often impairs a correct judgment of suicidality in personality disorders, this overview showed that some personality disorders have a stronger link to suicide and that identifiable risk factors may be used for the development of preventive measures. Given the fact that personality disorders have high prevalence in the general population, prediction and prevention of suicide among these individuals is a problem of public health.
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AIM: The present study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of albumin-gamma-glutamyltransferase isoenzyme in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Electrophoretic assays of gamma-glutamyltransferase isoenzymes were performed on sera from 190 cirrhotics with (n = 131) or without (n = 59) hepatocellular carcinoma, 36 patients with chronic active hepatitis, 17 patients with liver metastases, and 16 control subjects. In the group of cirrhotic patients, the serum level of alpha-fetoprotein was also assessed. RESULTS: Albumin-gamma-glutamyltransferase was found in 88 of 131 cirrhotics with hepatocellular carcinoma, 14 of 59 cirrhotics without hepatocellular carcinoma, nine of 17 patients with liver metastases, and in none of the chronic active hepatitis or control patients. Within the cirrhotic subgroup, albumin-gamma-glutamyltransferase was effective in detecting hepatocellular carcinoma in general (sensitivity: 67%; specificity: 76%; diagnostic accuracy: 70%), and small hepatocellular carcinoma (< 3 cm; corresponding figures: 58, 76, and 69%). The best alpha-fetoprotein value discriminating between hepatocellular carcinoma and non-hepatocellular carcinoma cirrhotics was 20 ng/mL (sensitivity: 54%; specificity 85%; accuracy: 64%). The combined use of albumin-gamma-glutamyltransferase and alpha-fetoprotein, > 20 ng/mL, was associated with greater sensitivity and accuracy (84 and 74%, respectively) than those observed with either of the two markers considered alone. CONCLUSIONS: Albumin-gamma-glutamyltransferase appears to be a sensitive diagnostic marker of both advanced and small hepatocellular carcinoma-complicating liver cirrhosis.
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OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to provide data about suicide and attempted suicide in the Italian military environment from 1986 to 1998. METHODS: Italian data were gathered from the clinical documentation archived by the Epidemiological Observatory. These data were collected in a Case Report Form and subsequently sorted into the statistical program database, SPSS, and then processed. RESULTS: From 1986 to 1998, there were 122 suicides and 136 attempted suicides. The most frequently involved ranks were military troops. Subject age range varied from 17 to 60 years. The most frequent ages for both suicides and attempted suicides were 19, 20, 21, and 22 years old. DISCUSSION: The authors assume that the lower predominance of suicide in the military population is mainly attributable to the following factors: screening procedures of military personnel aim to exclude mentally disturbed and the military service provides a young individual with the possibility to belong and to identify himself with a group.
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Suicide in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is a major cause of death. Risk factors for suicide and attempted suicide (which in many cases results in successful suicide) in anorexia nervosa include: purging type, chronic disease, and during treatment, obsessive symptoms and drug abuse, major depression, and for anorexia nervosa low body mass index (BMI) at presentation. In anorexia nervosa suicide has been considered the first cause of death and attempted suicide is a serious threat to these individuals. Data concerning suicide in bulimia nervosa has still scarce whereas attempted suicides are easily found in clinical histories of patients. No doubt suicidal behavior is underestimated amongst patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. An effort to reconcile with subject of suicide and a better evaluation of these patients' psychopathology should improve suicide prevention strategies amongst these individuals.
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Although prevention of youth suicide is a major aim in most countries, it often is not taken into account that younger children also are capable of killing themselves. Evidence suggests that the suicide rate among children has increased dramatically and that risk factors for suicide must be evaluated when dealing with children in primary and secondary care. Adverse life events in combination with other factors, such as depression, may lead to suicide. This article aims at stimulating further discussion among those involved in pediatric health care. Epidemiological data, an overview of risk factors, and the authors' reflections on the topic are provided.
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