Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of patients with personality disorder who died by suicide compared with patients with other diagnoses
| Personality disorder (n = 154) | Other diagnosesa (n = 1447) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender, n (%) 95% CI for % | |||
| Male | 69/154 (45) 37–53 | 1030/1447 (71) 69–74 | <0.01 |
| Female | 85/154 (55) 47–63 | 417/1447 (29) 26–31 | <0.01 |
| Age, years: median (range) | 42 (17–82) | 47 (12–96) | <0.01 |
| Not currently married, n (%) 95% CI for % | 119/152 (78) 71–85 | 1004/1400 (72) 69–74 | 0.09 |
| Living alone, n (%) 95% CI for % | 82/149 (55) 47–63 | 689/1377 (50) 47–53 | 0.25 |
| Unemployed/sickness leave, n (%) 95% CI for % | 121/148 (82) 75–88 | 813/1382 (59) 56–61 | <0.01 |
| Black, Asian and minority ethnic group, n (%) 95% CI for % | 9/152 (6) 3–11 | 95/1426 (7) 5–8 | 0.73 |
| Method of suicide, n (%) 95% CI for % | |||
| Self-poisoning | 61/154 (40) 32–48 | 356/1446 (25) 22–27 | <0.01 |
| Hanging | 58/154 (38) 30–46 | 643/1446 (44) 42–47 | 0.11 |
| Jumping | 15/150 (10) 6–16 | 222/1446 (15) 14–17 | 0.06 |
| History of alcohol misuse, n (%) 95% CI for % | 101/152 (66) 58–74 | 663/1409 (47) 44–50 | <0.01 |
| History of substance misuse, n (%) 95% CI for % | 79/151 (52) 44–60 | 512/1401 (37) 34–39 | <0.01 |
| History of violence, n (%) 95% CI for % | 62/150 (41) 33–50 | 295/1384 (21) 19–24 | <0.01 |
| History of self–harm, n (%) 95% CI for % | 146/154 (95) 90–98 | 873/1391 (63) 60–65 | <0.01 |
a.
Other diagnoses include schizophrenia and other delusional disorders, affective disorder, alcohol dependence/misuse, drug dependence misuse, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, dementia, intellectual disability, pervasive developmental disorder/autistic spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder/conduct disorder.