Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder associated with comorbidities and mental disorders. However, recent studies have indicated that PD could be associated with a higher risk of suicide. This study aims to investigate the risk of suicide in patients with PD.

This population-based, nationwide cohort study included a total of 35,891 patients with PD and 143,557 controls. The patients were followed up over 11 years and were matched on age, sex, and residence. The primary outcome of the study was the incidence of suicide and its association with PD as measured using Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs).

During 11 years of follow-up, a total of 451 participants committed suicide, 151 with PD (cumulative incidence 66.66 per 100,000 individuals) and 300 control participants (CI 32.3 per 100,000 individuals). The findings suggested that the risk of suicide was higher in patients with PD (hazard ratio 2.1) than in control patients. Even after adjusting the markers for medical comorbidities, dementia, and socioeconomic position, the HR was 1.9. It was also found that patients who died in the PD group were slightly younger than those in the control group.

The research concluded that PD was associated with an increased risk of suicide, with the effect being more prevalent in slightly younger patients.

Ref: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2774108?resultClick=1

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