Acute stress reaction and completed suicide

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Acute stress reaction is a diagnosis following significant stressors.
• Previous research has not established a link between acute stress reaction and suicide.
• This study investigates the association between acute stress reaction and completed suicide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between acute stress reaction diagnosis and completed suicide.
• To investigate the modifying effect of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses on this association.

Main Methods:

• A population-based nested case-control study using Danish health and administrative registries.
• Included 9612 suicide cases and 199,306 matched controls from 1994-2006.
• Analyzed data adjusting for depression and marital status.

Main Results:

• 0.99% of suicide cases and 0.08% of controls had an acute stress reaction diagnosis.
• Individuals with acute stress reaction had a tenfold increased rate of completed suicide (95% CI 7.7-14).
• Comorbid acute stress reaction with depression or substance abuse amplified suicide risk beyond independent effects.

Conclusions:

• Acute stress reaction is a significant risk factor for completed suicide.
• Early identification and intervention for acute stress reaction are crucial for suicide prevention efforts.