Description

ABSTRACT
Bipolar Affective Disorder is one of the commonest psychiatric disorders, with life time prevalence between1% to 5%, has high risk of suicide in particular. Around 10% of Bipolar Affective Disorder patients die bycommitting suicide and as many as 40% attempt suicide. Statistics from civil war zones / conflict zones has suggested increase in suicide rates in Bipolar patients due to continued exposure to environmental stressors.
Aim: The present study was aimed at studying the prevalence of Bipolar Affective Disorder in suicide attempters. Assessment of Sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors in particular reference to present turmoil was done.
Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 300 suicide attempters admitted in the Multispecialty Tertiary Care Hospital of the valley over the period of two years between 2010 and 2012. The patients were diagnosed by M.I.N.I plus.
Results: Total of 58% (n=174) had psychiatric comorbidity and out of them 32.18% (n=56) hadBipolar Affective Disorder as comorbid diagnosis. Majority of patients belonged to 18-38 year age group, lower and middle class, unmarried and divorced, unemployed and significantly more than 17% attributed their suicidal attempt directly to persistent environmental stress due to turmoil.
Conclusions: Significant number of suicide attempters had Bipolar Affective Disorder as diagnosis at the time of their suicide attempt. Keeping in view significant number had attributed their suicidal attempts to be precipitated by present turmoil, proper evaluation and management of patients withBipolar Affective Disorder in civil war zone is needed to prevent suicidal behaviours.

Keywords: Suicide, Bipolar Affective disorder, Comorbidity