Depression and suicidal ideation in schizophrenia spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study from a lower middle-income country.

Depression and suicidal ideation are prevalent in Pakistani patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Evaluation of depressive symptoms in this group may help identify individuals at higher risk of completed suicide, allowing for targeted interventions to improve outcomes.Key pointsTo our knowledge, this is the first study describing the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation in individuals with schizophrenia from Pakistan.Our data indicate that 36% of individuals with schizophrenia in our sample were depressed and 18% endorsed suicidal ideation.Depression in schizophrenia was associated with poorer quality of life and higher positive symptom burden.This study adds to the scarce literature from low- and middle-income countries where the burden of mental illness is great and where the majority of suicide deaths occur.Addressing social inequality, food insecurity, high rates of unemployment and low levels of literacy in these settings may have a profound effect on population mental health and suicide risk.