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Psychiatric diagnoses in 3275 suicides: a meta-analysis
Geneviève Arsenault-Lapierre1, Caroline Kim, Gustavo Turecki
1McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. genevieve.arsenault-lapierre@elf.mcgill.ca <genevieve.arsenault-lapierre@elf.mcgill.ca>
BMC Psychiatry
|November 6, 2004
Summary
Most suicide completers have psychiatric disorders, with significant gender and geographic variations in specific diagnoses. Understanding these differences is crucial for suicide prevention strategies and mental health research.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Most suicide cases are linked to psychiatric disorders, but prevalence rates vary.
- Limited data exists on gender and geographic disparities in psychiatric diagnoses among suicide completers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine overall rates of psychiatric disorders in suicide completers.
- To investigate gender and geographic differences in the proportion of specific psychiatric disorders.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of psychological autopsy studies on suicide completers was conducted.
- Data from 27 studies (3275 suicides) were analyzed using Mantel-Haenszel Weighted Odds Ratios for 16 psychiatric disorder variables.
Main Results:
- 87.3% of suicide completers had a diagnosed mental disorder.
- Males showed higher rates of substance-related, personality, and childhood disorders.
- Females had higher rates of affective and depressive disorders.
Conclusions:
- Psychopathology is a key factor in suicide risk.
- Significant gender differences exist in the types of psychiatric disorders found in suicide completers.
- Geographic variations in psychiatric diagnoses among suicides are also likely.