Prevalence and influencing factors of suicide in first-episode and drug-naive young major depressive disorder patients with impaired fasting glucose: a cross-sectional study

Yifan Li; Zhenjiang Liao; Qiuping Huang; Qianjin Wang; Honghong Ren; Xinxin Chen; Shuhong Lin; Chenhan Wang; Ying Tang; Jingyue Hao; Xuhao Wang; Hongxian Shen; Xiangyang Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1171814

Prevalence and influencing factors of suicide in first-episode and drug-naive young major depressive disorder patients with impaired fasting glucose: a cross-sectional study

Front Psychiatry. 2023 Jun 9:14:1171814. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1171814. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
² Department of Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Management, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China.
³ The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
⁴ CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Background: An association exists between major depression disorder (MDD), suicide attempts, and glucose metabolism, but suicide attempts in young MDD patients with comorbid impaired fasting glucose (IFG) have been less well studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and risk factors for suicide attempts in young, first-episode, drug-naive (FEDN) MDD patients with comorbid IFG.

Methods: We recruited 917 young patients with FEDN MDD, 116 of whom were judged to have combined IFG because their blood glucose was >6.0. We collected anthropological and clinical data on all of them. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive subscale score were used to assess their clinical symptoms. Blood glucose, plasma thyroid function and lipid indicators were measured.

Results: The prevalence of suicide attempts in young MDD patients with IFG was 32.8% (38/116). Furthermore, among young MDD patients with comorbid IFG, suicide attempters had more severe depression and anxiety symptoms, more comorbid psychotic symptom, higher levels of antibody of thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroid peroxidases (TPOAb), and more severe lipid metabolism disorders than those without suicide attempts. In addition, HAMA scores and TPOAb were independently associated with suicide attempts in young patients with FEDN MDD.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that young MDD patients with IFG have a high rate of suicide attempts. Some clinical symptoms and thyroid function parameters may be the risk factor for suicide attempts in young MDD patients with impaired glucose metabolism.

Keywords: anxiety; blood lipids; depression disorder; impaired fasting glucose; suicide attempts; thyroid antibodies.