Evaluate the suicide behaviour of the bipolar patient, to understand how and when this kind of behaviour may occur, what are the risk factors that can increase this occurrence and what are the possible preventive strategies.

Retrospective study in a sample of 84 patients (42 of female sex and 42 of male sex) chosen aleatorially and admitted in Sobral Cid Hospital with bipolar disorder diagnostic. The work was authorized by the ethics for Health Commission of the Sobral Cid Psychiatry Hospital.

In the total of 84 patients with bipolar disorder, there were 206 admissions, 122 of them were readmissions. The mean age was 44.5 ± 14.9 years, half were single/divorced and the majority of patients with bipolar type I diagnosis (81%). In what concern to the total of admissions, 43% patients were in maniac phase, 36% in depressive phase, 13% in mix phase, and just 8% in hippomaniac phase. There were suicide behaviours in 29%, and suicidal ideation (19%) was the most frequent. Suicide attempts occurred in 10% of admissions. In those admissions with suicidal ideation, the patients were in the majority of times in depressive and mixed phase (85%), as well as those with suicide attempts (95%).

Bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt.