Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia shown to increase suicide risk by 12 times

A new study shows that people affected with severe mental disorders like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, notice significantly higher suicide rates than individuals without these disorders.

King’s Health Partners explains that individuals with these disorders, are much more likely (12 times more) to commit suicide when compared to mentally healthy individuals.

Research showed that suicide rates were significantly higher during the first year after an individual is diagnosed with one of these disorders.

This is the first study involving risks and actual suicides among individuals with these specific mental disorders.

A common statistic explains that about 10 percent of people with these or similar psychotic disorders commit suicide. However, those figures have been determined as unrealistic and this study worked to determine why.

The study noticed the previous figures to be higher than actual, but lifetime risks appear to be evident. The risks differ between first year after diagnosis and lifetime risks as well.

Psychotic disorders often cause individuals negative or disturbing thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and moods. Most often, these conditions become present in younger individuals and affect nearly 2 percent of the population.