FindCounseling.com Staff A family history of suicide has been linked to increased suicide risk for people with many mental health disorders. However, for individuals with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, having a relative who ended their own life may increase their risk of suicide by as much as three times. <br /> <br />Researchers at Spain's University of Barcelona examined 374 individuals receiving outpatient care for <a href="/glossary/bipolar-disorder-manic-depression.html" title="Interactive Glossary: Definition of Bipolar Disorder">bipolar disorder</a> type I or II or the bipolar subtype of schizoaffective disorder. Forty-eight of these patients had one or more members who had successfully completed suicide. When compared to other subjects, these patients had far higher rates of Cluster C personality disorders, personality disorders marked by anxiety or fear. More than twice as many of these patients, 52.2 versus 25.5 percent of subjects without a family history of suicide, had attempted suicide at some point in their lives. <br /> <br />Prior research examining only medical records has found a similar relationship between family history and suicide risk in bipolar patients. These findings further emphasize the need to identify patients with a family history of suicide in order to maximize prevention efforts. <br /> <br /><strong>ABSTRACT:</strong> <a href="http://www.psychiatrist.com/abstracts/200710/100707.htm">Relevance of Family History of Suicide in the Long-Term Outcome of Bipolar Disorders</a> <br /> disorder, family, Suicide, Bipolar, attempt, risk, history 2008-09-06T11:13:18-05:00 5673 disorder, family, Suicide, Bipolar, attempt, risk, history /help/news/2007/11/suicide_risk_in_bipolar_patients_depends_strongly_on_family.html true 2007-11-15T06:17:20-06:00 suicide_risk_in_bipolar_patients_depends_strongly_on_family A family history of suicide has been linked to increased suicide risk for people with many mental health disorders. However, for individuals with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, having a relative who ended their own life may increase their risk by as much as three times. 2009-02-19T10:01:19-06:00