Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Suicidality in Individuals at
Clinical High Risk for Psychosis
Abstract
Background: Individuals with psychosis symptoms are at high
risk for suicidality. The prevalence and correlates of suicidality in
clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) have yet to be clarified. This
study reports on the prevalence and clinical correlates of suicidality
in a clinical CHR-P sample. Method: Participants (n = 135)
included CHR-P clients at a CHR-P community specialty clinic, who
participated in a clinical assessment between 2017 and 2022. Assessments
measured attenuated psychosis symptoms, suicidality, clinical
covariates, and functioning. Frequency analyses assessed the prevalence
of lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts and T-test and
Chi-square identified clinical correlates. Logistic regression assessed
the relationship between significant clinical correlates and lifetime
suicide attempts. Results: Sixty five percent of participants
at CHR-P endorsed lifetime suicidal ideation, while 22.2% reported at
least one lifetime attempt. Correlates for lifetime suicidal ideation
included self-reported gender expansive identity, hopelessness,
depression, trauma, obsessive compulsive symptoms, insight:
reflectiveness, trauma diagnoses, mood disorder diagnoses, and
perceptual abnormalities/hallucinations. Significant correlates for
lifetime suicide attempts included self-reported hopelessness,
depression, trauma diagnosis and mood disorder diagnosis.
Conclusion: CHR-P clients are at a higher risk for suicidal
ideation and attempts compared to the general population. Correlates of
suicidality may be diagnostically heterogeneous and therefore
interventions should be tailored to specific clinical needs. Clients
with trauma-disorder diagnoses may be at highest risk for suicidality.
Continued intervention and longitudinal research is needed to clarify
causal risk factors and establish evidence-based treatments for
suicidality in CHR-P.