Visuospatial ability and attention as risk factors for suicidal ideation in middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia patients have a high risk of suicide, and their cognition function is impaired with increasing age. The association between neurocognitive and suicidality in schizophrenia patients are heterogeneous. We aimed to explore the relationship between neurocognitive function and suicidal ideation in schizophrenia patients across age groups. METHODS: A total of 587 patients with schizophrenia were enrolled in this study. The schizophrenia patients were divided into young group (aged 18–44) and middle-aged and elderly group (aged 45–70). The schizophrenia patients were divided into suicidal ideation group and non-suicidal ideation group according to the evaluation results of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Insomnia symptoms were measured by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Psychotic symptoms were measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and cognitive function was measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between the age and attention scores of RBANS (P = 0.018). The young schizophrenia patients had higher risk of suicidality than middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients (P = 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, the scores of ISI and positive symptoms scores of PANSS were associated with suicidal ideation among young schizophrenia patients (All P < 0.05). Age, BMI, the scores of ISI, general symptoms scores of PANSS, visuospatial scores of RBANS and attention scores of RBANS were associated with suicidal ideation in middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients (All P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: High visuospatial scores of RBANS and attention scores of RBANS were risk factors for suicidal ideation in middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia patients.