Title:Suicide Prevention in Schizophrenia: Do Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs) have a Role?
VOLUME: 16 ISSUE: 4
Author(s):Maurizio Pompili*, Laura Orsolini, Dorian A. Lamis, David R. Goldsmith, Adele Nardella, Giulia Falcone, Valentina Corigliano, Mario Luciano and Andrea Fiorillo
Affiliation:Department of Psychiatry, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, University of Hertfordshire, Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples
Keywords:Long-acting injectable antipsychotics, prevention, schizophrenia, suicide, pharmacological, hallucination.
Abstract:Suicide risk is a major cause of death among patients with schizophrenia. Death by suicide
has been reported in approximately 5% of schizophrenia patients although this figure appears to be an
underestimate of the problem. A number of risk factors are routinely reported as associated with suicide
risk among these patients, some of which are modifiable by targeted therapeutic strategies. Clozapine
is the only compound that gathered evidence as an effective treatment for reducing suicide risk
in schizophrenia. Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs) have a range of advantages in terms
of efficacy, safety and tolerability in the treatment of schizophrenia, and one area of interest is whether
LAI-treatment may decrease suicidality by indirectly acting on a range of risk factors for suicide specific
to schizophrenia patients. This background encouraged the present review of research pertaining
to LAIs in relation to modifiable risk factors for suicide in schizophrenia. We viewed our task as gathering,
speculating and critically appraising the available research relevant to the topic, with the aim of
formulating a hypothesis to be tested with further research.
