Incidence and Risk Profiles for Suicide Mortality in Patients With Schizophrenia Receiving Homecare Case Management in Taiwan

Abstract

Abstract Case management (CM)-based community therapy for patients with schizophrenia had little effect on reducing suicide mortality. We investigate the long-term suicide mortality outcome and associated risk factors in patients with schizophrenia receiving homecare (CM) in Taiwan. We enrolled a nationwide cohort of patients with schizophrenia who newly received homecare CM intervention (n = 13 317) between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2015; their data were derived from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We calculated the incidence rate of suicide methods. We examined the demographic and medical utilization profile for suicide and then performed a nested case–control study and multivariate regression to identify independent risk factors for suicide mortality. Among the 13 317 patients who received homecare CM intervention, 1766 died during the study period, of whom 213 died by suicide, which is the leading cause of unnatural death. Jumping from a high place, self-poisoning, and hanging were the top 3 suicide methods. Increased medical utilization was noted for both psychiatric and non-psychiatric services within 3 months of suicide mortality. Comorbidities of depressive disorder, nonspecific heart diseases, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal ulcers were identified as independent risk factors for suicide mortality. Suicide was the leading cause of unnatural mortality in patients with schizophrenia receiving homecare CM intervention in Taiwan. We noted the preferred suicide methods, high medical utilization, and comorbidities before suicide. Thus, we suggest that the CM team should assess lethal methods for suicide and ensure that patients adhere to psychiatry treatment for improving the current care model for this specified population.