The Irish Psychiatric Association has expressed concern that the prescribing of a drug which has helped prevent suicide and improved many schizophrenia patients' quality of life may be restricted for financial reasons.
Meeting on the eve of a national conference of psychiatrists in Dublin, the association has been informed that at least one health board is considering capping the prescribing of the anti-psychotic medication, clozapine, because of its cost.
The medical conference will be told of the results of an international study into the effectiveness of newer anti-psychotic drugs in the prevention of suicide.
Prof Robert Kerwin, professor of clinical neuropharmacology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London, will present the findings of the international suicide prevention trial, for which he was the lead UK investigator. It found that suicidal behaviour occurred less frequently in patients treated with clozapine, a relatively new medication used in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Some 980 people with schizophrenia or schizo-effective disorder were included in the two year trial. Fewer clozapine-treated patients attempted suicide or required hospitalisation to prevent suicide, the study found. Patients included in the trial were those considered at high risk of self harm.
Suicide is the leading cause of premature death among patients with schizophrenia. Approximately 50 per cent of patients with schizophrenia or the related schizo-effective disorder attempt suicide.
The conference will also be told that men accused of sex offences appear to be at an increased risk of suicide even before they are processed by the courts.
Cases of suicide from 18 Garda divisions in the period 1990-1999 were examined. Nine out of 32 men who committed suicide, while under investigation, did so within three weeks of an allegation of a sexual offence.
Dr Justin Brophy, consultant psychiatrist at Newcastle Hospital, County Wicklow, will tell the meeting that suicide in this group was found to occur at key risk periods including the time before or after a first Garda interview. "Such individuals should have a high suicide risk weighting," he said.
Separate research, which will be presented to the meeting, has found a link between increased alcohol consumption and a high suicide rate. A particular correlation was noted between the consumption of wine and cider and male suicide.