Diabetes mellitus and suicide

• Main Authors: Siddharth Sarkar, Yatan Pal Singh Balhara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2014-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Subjects: Depression; diabetes mellitus; insulin; suicidal behaviour
• Online Access: http://www.ijem.in/article.asp?issn=2230-8210;year=2014;volume=18;issue=4;spage=468;epage=474;aulast=Sarkar
• ISSN: 2230-8210; 2230-9500

Relationship of diabetes mellitus (DM) with metal health disorders such as depression has been explored extensively in the published literatures. However, association of diabetes mellitus with suicidal tendencies has been evaluated less extensively. The present narrative review aimed to assess the literature relating to diabetes mellitus and suicide. As a part of the review, Pubmed and Google Scholar databases were searched for English language peer reviewed published studies with keywords relating to diabetes and suicide. Additional references were identified using cross-references. The available literature suggests that suicidal ideas and attempts are more frequent in patients with diabetes mellitus than healthy or medically ill controls. Although, a few studies report evidence to the contrary. Suicide accounts for a large proportion of deaths in patients with diabetes mellitus type I (T1DM), and their mortality rate is higher than that of age matched control population. Psychological morbidity, including depression, precedes suicidal ideas and attempts; though many other factors can be hypothesized to impact and modulate this association. A common method of suicide attempt in patients with diabetes includes uses of high doses of insulin and its congeners or medications to treat the disease. Regular screening and prompt treatment of depression and suicidality is suggested for patients with DM.