Suicide is a health issue resulting in 1’000.000 deaths/year, being more frequent inpatients with psychiatric illnesses, generating high costs in medical attention ofapproximately 46,024 USD per year.Objective: Determine the prevalence and the factors associated with suicideattempts in patients with history of psychosis.Methods: Cross sectional study of 226 outpatients attending La Paz clinic inBogotá between 2008-2009. The information was collected through direct interviewwith the patient or person responsible of patient’s care. The interview assesseddemographic factors, substance abuse, clinical aspects of the current disease andaccess to medical care.Results: The gender distribution was similar, with a mean age of 41,11±12,5 years.The prevalence of suicide attempt was 26%. The most frequent diagnosis wasschizophrenia (53,5%), most of the patients lived with their families (91,2%). Withinthe factors that increased the probability of suicide attempts, we found femalegender (OR = 1,77; CI 0,919-3,422), alcohol use (OR = 2,43; IC 1,07-5,51) andprevious hospitalizations with length of stay less than 10 days (OR = 2,065; CI 95:1,086-3,928). While factors associated with less probability of suicide attemptswithin the last year were the ones related with adherence to treatment. Alcoholwas a factor associated with an increase of probability of suicide attempts in thelast 5 years (OR = 1,68 CI 1,17-22,17).Conclusions: Female gender, alcohol use and previous hospitalization with lengthof stay less than 10 days were factors associated with higher probability of suicideattempts, while adherence to treatment was associated with less probability.
