Is the Total Score of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Associated with Suicide Attempts or Suicides?
Janus Christian Jakobsen, Erik Simonsen, Kirsten Buch Rasmussen, Christian Gluud
Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research · pp. 140–152 · Published 21 Dec 2012
10.9734/BJMMR/2013/1709Abstract
Background: Most evidence behind interventions for depression is, in essence, based on the total score of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). We identified no systematic review or meta-analysis examining if a total 17-item HDRS score is associated with suicide attempts or suicides in depressive patients. Methodology: Based on a systematic literature search CENTRAL in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and Science Citation Index Expanded, we systematically reviewed and meta-analysed observational studies examining if the total 17-item HDRS score is associated with suicide attempts or suicides. Results: We identified and included ten cohort studies - seven retrospective and three prospective. All the studies were assessed as high risk of bias. Meta-analysis on the HDRS scores from three retrospective studies showed that depressive patients with a suicide attempt during the on-going depressive episode had a significantly higher score on the HDRS compared to non-suicidal patients (mean difference 6.31 HDRS; 95% confidence interval 4.72 to 7.91; P<0.00001, I2=0). However, meta-analyses of the HDRS scores from three prospective studies and four studies reporting retrospectively lifetime suicide attempts showed no significant differences between patients with or without a suicide attempt or suicide. Conclusion: A total score on the HDRS does not seem to be associated with past or future suicide attempts or suicides. There seems to be a need for other assessment tools to predict and explain risks of suicidality.
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Cited by 14
Javier Malda‐Castillo, Claire Browne, Guillermo Perez‐Algorta · Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice · 2018
Janus Christian Jakobsen, Christian Gluud, Mickey Kongerslev · BMJ Open · 2014
Fredrik Hieronymus, Alexander Lisinski, Jakob Näslund · Acta Neuropsychiatrica · 2018
Kiran Kumar Katakam, Naqash Javaid Sethi, Janus Christian Jakobsen · Acta Neuropsychiatrica · 2019
Mayyas Al-Remawi, Ahmed S.A. Ali Agha, Faisal Al-Akayleh · Heliyon · 2024
Yingmin Zou, Huanhuan Li, Chuan Shi · Psychiatry Research · 2017
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