Key result
Suicide or attempt in MDD is linked to ~50% higher prior-year psychiatric hospitalization versus controls.
Why the study?
Major depressive disorder is associated with suicide events and increased healthcare resource utilization, but patterns of HRU prior to suicide events were not well characterized.
Does healthcare resource utilization differ in the year prior to suicide death or attempt in patients with major depressive disorder compared to matched controls?
Cohort
Does healthcare resource utilization differ in the year prior to suicide death or attempt in patients with major depressive disorder compared to matched controls?
Patients with major depressive disorder show significantly increased psychiatric and non-psychiatric healthcare resource utilization in the year preceding a suicide event.
Increased acute psychiatric contacts may flag suicide risk in MDD; hypothesis-generating for preventive monitoring trials.
INTRODUCTION: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with suicide events and with increased healthcare resource utilization (HRU). The aim was to analyze the pattern of HRU prior to death by suicide or suicide attempt in patients with MDD using national registries. METHODS: Danish adults with MDD, who died by suicide or had a first-time suicide attempt, were matched with MDD controls on age, sex, and MDD severity and analyzed for psychiatric and non-psychiatric hospital and private practitioner contacts, and prescriptions 1 year prior to the event. For individuals having a second suicide attempt, HRU prior to first and second suicide attempt was analyzed. RESULTS: Among 1061 individuals dying by suicide and 3759 individuals with suicide attempt, compared with their controls, the proportion with psychiatric hospitalization was more than 50% increased, mainly accounted for by acute contacts. The difference to the matched controls decreased with increasing MDD severity. Non-psychiatric HRU was increased as well. The proportion with psychiatric hospitalizations or ED visits was reduced prior to the second attempt compared with first attempt. CONCLUSION: Among individuals with MDD, psychiatric and non-psychiatric HRU was increased 1 year prior to suicide event. The proportion of individuals who had psychiatric HRU decreased from first to second suicide attempt.
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Jensen et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Major depressive disorder. Suicide death or suicide attempt vs. Matched MDD controls was evaluated on Healthcare resource utilization (psychiatric and non-psychiatric hospital and private practitioner contacts, and prescriptions). Among individuals with major depressive disorder, psychiatric hospitalization was increased by more than 50% in the year prior to suicide death or suicide attempt compared with matched controls.
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