Suicidality in Neurologic Diseases

Suicidality is a relatively frequent complication of most major neurologic disorders, including stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, migraine, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and traumatic and spinal cord injury. In some neurologic conditions like epilepsy, suicide accounts for up to 15% of all deaths. The presence of comorbid psychiatric disorders, in particular major depressive and generalized anxiety disorder occurring together, can be among the leading risk factors for suicidality in patients with neurologic disorders. Thus, screening for these conditions can facilitate the detection of patients at risk for suicidal behavior. In this chapter, we review the epidemiologic aspects, pathogenic mechanisms, and clinical manifestations of suicidality in the major neurologic disorders.