RT Journal Article
T1 Moral or Religious Objections to Suicide May Protect Against  Suicidal Behavior in Bipolar Disorder
A1 Dervic, Kanita
A1 Carballo Belloso, Juan José
A1 Baca Garcia, Enrique
A1 Galfalvy, Hanga C.
A1 Mann, John
A1 Brent, David A.
A1 Oquendo, María A.
AB A retrospective case control study of 149 depressed bipolar patients (DSM-III-R criteria) in a tertiary care university research clinic was conducted. Patients who reported religious affiliation were compared with 51 patients without religious affiliation in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and history of suicidal behavior. The primary outcome measure was the moral or religious objections to suicide subscale of the Reasons for Living Inventory (RFLI).ResultsReligiously affiliated patients had more children and more family-oriented social networks than nonaffiliated patients. As for clinical variables, religiously affiliated patients had fewer past suicide attempts, had fewer suicides in first-degree relatives, and were older at the time of first suicide attempt than unaffiliated patients. Furthermore, patients with religious affiliation had comparatively higher scores on the moral or religious objections to suicide subscale of the RFLI, lower lifetime aggression, and less comorbid alcohol and substance abuse and childhood abuse experience. After controlling for confounders, higher aggression scores (P = .001) and lower score on the moral or religious objections to suicide subscale of the RFLI (P < .001) were significantly associated with suicidal behavior in depressed bipolar patients. Moral or religious objections to suicide mediated the effects of religious affiliation on suicidal behavior in this sample.ConclusionsHigher score on the moral or religious objections to suicide subscale of the RFLI is associated with fewer suicidal acts in depressed bipolar patients. The strength of this association was comparable to that of aggression scores and suicidal behavior, and had an independent effect. A possible protective role of moral or religious objections to suicide deserves consideration in the assessment and treatment of suicidality in bipolar disorder.
PB Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.
SN 0160-6689
YR 2011
FD 2011-10-08
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/128562
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/128562
LA eng
NO Dervic K, Carballo JJ, Baca-Garcia E, Galfalvy HC, Mann JJ, Brent DA, Oquendo MA. Moral or religious objections to suicide may protect against suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Oct;72(10):1390-6. doi: 10.4088/JCP.09m05910gre. PMID: 21367349; PMCID: PMC3785100.
NO National Institute of Mental Health
NO Nina Rahn Fund
DS Docta Complutense
RD 25 mar 2026