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Neuropsychiatry
Review
Suicide in Parkinson’s disease
  1. Melissa Deanna Shepard1,
  2. Kate Perepezko1,
  3. Martijn P G Broen2,
  4. Jared Thomas Hinkle1,3,
  5. Ankur Butala1,4,
  6. Kelly A Mills4,5,
  7. Julie Nanavati1,
  8. Nicole Mercado Fischer1,
  9. Paul Nestadt1,
  10. Gregory Pontone1,5
  1. 1 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  2. 2 Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  3. 3 Medical Scientist Training Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  4. 4 Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  5. 5 Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease Research Center of Excellence, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Melissa Deanna Shepard, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; mshepar6{at}jhmi.edu

Abstract

Persons with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) have many known risk factors for suicide and suicidal ideation (SI). Despite this, there is limited understanding of suicidality in this population. We conducted a systematic review to synthesise the available literature on suicidality in PwP and highlight areas for potential intervention and further research. We identified 116 articles discussing SI, suicidal behaviours, suicide attempts and/or fatal suicide in PwP. These articles describe prevalence, suicide methods, risk factors for suicide and SI and treatment of suicidality. In this review, we summarise the current literature and provide suggestions for how clinicians can identify and treat PwP who are at risk for suicide, for example, through aggressive treatment of depression and improved screening for access to lethal means.

  • Parkinson's disease
  • psychiatry
  • neuropsychiatry
  • movement disorders

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2018-319815

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors MDS: conception, organisation, execution, analysis of reviewed studies, drafting the manuscript. Responsible for overall content as the guarantor. KP: conception, analysis of reviewed studies, manuscript review and critique. MPGB, PN: analysis of reviewed studies, manuscript review and critique. JTH, AB, KAM and NMF: conception, manuscript review and critique. JN: conception, organisation, execution, manuscript review and critique. GP: conception, organisation, manuscript review and critique.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests KAM receives support from Abbott for research support for his role as site PI for DBS trial, outside the submitted work. There are no other competing interests to report.

    • Patient consent Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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