Comparing warning signs of suicide between suicide decedents with depression and those non‐diagnosed psychiatric disorders

Abstract Objective Early recognition of a high‐risk group impending suicide is important. We aimed to compare warning signs depending on the nature of the psychiatric disorder and whether it was a documented diagnosis. Methods Data of suicide decedents were collected from police records from 2013 to 2017. We evaluate psychiatric symptoms and warning signs in three aspects (language, behavior, and affect) using the Korea‐Psychological Autopsy Checklist for Police Records (K‐PAC‐PR). Results A total of 13,265 suicide decedents were recruited for this study. Of them, 66.9% of females and 46.7% of males diagnosed psychiatric disorders, with depressive disorder being the most common one. Warning signs were observed in 93.0% of suicide decedents. They were observed more in those who were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, especially in those with a depressive disorder. “Talking about dying or suicide” was the most common warning sign in all groups, and “apathetic behavior” was the most related warning sign for depressive disorder. Especially for “talking about dying or suicide,” the proportion of observed “within a week” was high, making it valuable as a warning sign. Conclusion Warning signs were commonly found in suicide decedents regardless of gender. They were more common among the decedents diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, especially among those with a depressive disorder.