Ballard, Elizabeth D

AbstractObjectivesThe suicide crisis is a relatively short‐lived psychiatric emergency, with transient symptoms that ebb and flow around the suicide attempt. Understanding the dynamic processes of symptoms before and after suicide attempt may aid future prevention efforts.MethodsData were drawn from the NIMH STEP‐BD study, which followed 4,360 patients with bipolar disorder; a subset attempted suicide during the trial (245/4100 or 5.97% of the sample eligible for analysis). This analysis focused on change in suicidal ideation (SI) in the 120 days before and 120 days after suicide attempt; similar analyses were conducted for other depressive symptoms. Generalized linear mixed models with a two‐piece linear function of time corresponding to pre‐ and post‐suicide attempt trends were used.ResultsSI ratings from 216 individuals were analyzed (n = 1,231 total; n = 395 pre‐attempt, n = 126 circa‐attempt, n = 710 post‐attempt) and compared to data from a matched sample of 648 non‐attempters. SI worsened in the 120 days pre‐attempt but improved afterwards, reaching non‐attempter levels by 90 days post‐attempt. A similar pattern was found for other depressive symptoms, including depressed mood, loss of interest, guilt, and self‐esteem. Pre/post differences in tension/activating symptoms of depression—anxiety, agitation, and irritability—were less pronounced and more time‐limited.ConclusionsThe suicide crisis is dynamic, and the days before and after suicide attempt may be particularly critical. The findings extend previous research on proximal symptoms of suicide and underscore that some SI and affective/cognitive symptoms of depression can remain elevated up to 90 days post‐attempt in individuals with bipolar disorder.

ObjectivesSuicide is unfortunately common in psychiatric practice, but difficult to predict. The present study sought to assess which clinical symptoms increase in the months before suicidal behavior in a sample of psychiatric outpatients with bipolar disorder.MethodsData from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP‐BD) trial were used. A total of 103 participants who attempted suicide or died by suicide during the trial were included; a 15% random sample of the remaining participants (n = 427) was used as a comparison sample. Linear mixed models in the six months before suicidal behavior were conducted for each of five proposed acute risk factors for suicidal behavior. Participants were assessed using the Clinical Monitoring Form (CMF) at each visit for the following potential acute risk factors for suicidal behavior: suicidal ideation, loss of interest, anxiety, psychomotor agitation, and high‐risk behavior.ResultsEach of the five symptoms was elevated overall in individuals who engaged in suicidal behavior (p < 0.05). The severity of both suicidal ideation and loss of interest significantly increased in the months before suicidal behavior (p < 0.001). Anxiety demonstrated comparable effect sizes across multiple models. Psychomotor agitation and high‐risk behavior were not significantly elevated before suicidal behavior.ConclusionsSuicidal ideation, loss of interest and, to a lesser extent, anxiety may represent acute suicide risk factors up to four months before suicidal behavior in outpatients with bipolar disorder. Further investigation of these potential acute risk factors in prospective analyses is warranted.

Ketamine and lithium both inhibit glycogen synthase kinase 3. In addition, lithium and ketamine have synergistic antidepressant-like effects at individually subeffective doses in rodents. We hypothesized that ketamine’s antidepressant effects would be improved by therapeutic doses of lithium versus valproate and that serum lithium levels would positively correlate with ketamine’s antidepressant efficacy. Thirty-six patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression maintained on therapeutic-dose lithium (n=23, 0.79 ± 0.15 mEq/L) or valproate (n=13, 79.6 ± 12.4 mg/mL) received 0.5 mg/kg ketamine infusion in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. The primary depression outcome measure—the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)—was assessed before infusion and at numerous postinfusion time points. Both lithium (F1,118= 152.08,p<0.001, andd=2.27) and valproate (F1,128= 20.12,p<0.001, andd=0.79) significantly improved depressive symptoms, but no statistically significant difference was observed between mood stabilizer groups (F1,28= 2.51,p=0.12, andd=0.60). Serum lithium and valproate levels did not correlate with ketamine’s antidepressant efficacy. Although the study was potentially underpowered, our results suggest that lithium may not potentiate ketamine’s antidepressant efficacy in treatment-resistant bipolar depression.