Suicide and suicidal ideation in Parkinson's disease

Little is known about the prevalence and correlates of suicidal behavior in Parkinson's disease (PD). In the first part of the study, we followed a cohort of 102 consecutive PD patients for 8 years and found that the suicide-specific mortality was 5.3 (95% CI 2.1–12.7) times higher than expected. In the second part, we tested 128 PD patients for death and suicidal ideation and administered an extensive neurological, neuropsychological and psychiatric battery. Current death and/or suicidal ideation was registered in 22.7%. On univariate logistic regression analysis, psychiatric symptoms (depression, but also anxiety and hopelessness), but not the PD-related variables, were associated with such ideation. On multivariate logistic regression analysis this association held for major depression (odds ratio = 4.6; 95% CI 2.2–9.4; p < 0.001), psychosis (odds ratio = 19.2; 95% CI 1.4–27.3; p = 0.026), and increasing score of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (odds ratio = 1.2; 95% CI 1.0–1.4; p = 0.008). In conclusion, the suicide risk in PD may not be as high as it is expected, but it is certainly not trivial. According to our data almost a quarter of PD patients had death and/or suicidal ideation, that may significantly influence their quality of life.