Anxiety Disorders and Risk for Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts

Abstract

This is the first study to demonstrate that a preexisting anxiety disorder is an independent risk factor for subsequent onset of suicidal ideation and attempts. Moreover, the data clearly demonstrate that comorbid anxiety disorders amplify the risk of suicide attempts in persons with mood disorders. Clinicians and policymakers need to be aware of these findings, and further research is required to delineate whether treatment of anxiety disorders reduces the risk of subsequent suicidal behavior.

Risk factors for the incidence and persistence of suicide-related outcomes: A 10-year follow-up study using the National Comorbidity Surveys

“…Our estimates of new onsets of suicide ideation (6.2%), plan (2.3%), gesture (0.7%), and attempt (0.9%) during the 10-year time interval between the two surveys are consistent with estimates from prior studies using similar time frames (Kuo et al, 2001;Sareen et al, 2005;Wang et al, 2006), but extend these earlier studies by using nationally representative data and by examining a broader range of suiciderelated outcomes (i.e., suicide plans and gestures). Importantly, more than one-third of the respondents who reported a history of suicide ideation at baseline continued to experience suicide ideation during the follow-up period.…”

Association of RGS2 Gene Polymorphisms with Suicide and Increased RGS2 Immunoreactivity in the Postmortem Brain of Suicide Victims

“…In animals and humans, the amygdala is believed to control emotions such as fear and anxiety and behaviors such as impulsive violence (Phelps and LeDoux, 2005;Shaikh et al, 1993). Fear, anxiety and impulsive violence have all been proposed as risk factors for suicide (Sareen et al, 2005;Dumais et al, 2005). However, evidence showing the involvement of RGS2 in either aggression or anxiety in humans is still limited.…”

A 1-year follow-up study of chest-pain patients with and without panic disorder

“…Hence these variables were controlled for when making statistical comparisons. One might also suspect that major depression would influence the association between PD and suicidal ideation (111) and between PD and HRQOL. This would especially influence the relationship between persistent PD at follow-up and the above mentioned outcome variables as the prevalence of major depression among the patients with persistent PD was 50% (Paper II).…”