The Role of Third Person Hallucination in Schizophrenic Suicide Attempt: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Suicide is among the most common causes of mortality among individuals with schizophrenia. Efforts at determining risk factors have been fruitful as some specific factors for schizophrenic suicide have been reported. However, there are few studies on the role of third person auditory hallucination in such suicide. A case of a 33 year old Nigerian man who cut his throat in response to third person auditory hallucination is presented. The apparent close relationship of this hallucinatory experience with the act of attempted suicide in this patient suggested that there is need for further investigation in determining the contribution of third person auditory hallucination to schizophrenic suicide attempt.

Key Words: Hallucination, Schizophrenia, Suicide