SUICIDE ATTEMPTS IN A PROSPECTIVE COHORT OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA TREATED WITH SERTINDOLE OR RISPERIDONE
The incidence of suicide attempts (fatal and non-fatal) was analysed in a prospective cohort of patients with schizophrenia randomly assigned to sertindole (4905 patients) or risperidone (4904 patients). The total exposure was 6978 and 7975 patient-years in the sertindole and risperidone groups, respectively. Suicide mortality in the study was low (0.21 and 0.28 per 100 patients per year with sertindole and risperidone, respectively). The majority (84%) of suicide attempts occurred within the fi rst year of treatment. It was showed a lower risk of suicide attempt for sertindoletreated patients than for risperidone-treated patients. A history of previous suicide attempts was signifi cantly associated with attempted suicides in both treatment groups.