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Conditions predisposing to suicide: a review
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|April 1, 1977
Summary
A significant portion of suicides are linked to a few specific mental health conditions. Depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia are major contributors to suicide deaths in the United States.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Public Health
Background:
- Suicide is a major public health concern.
- Understanding the underlying conditions associated with suicide is crucial for prevention efforts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify major disease entities and conditions linked to a high proportion of suicides.
- To estimate the percentage of individuals with specific conditions who die by suicide.
- To estimate the number of annual suicides in the United States attributable to these conditions.
Main Methods:
- Review of cohort studies examining causes of death.
- Analysis of follow-up data on individuals with diagnosed conditions.
- Estimation of suicide rates within specific patient groups.
Main Results:
- Primary (endogenous) depression and reactive (neurotic) depression are associated with an estimated 15% suicide rate.
- Alcoholism is linked to an estimated 15% suicide rate.
- Schizophrenia (10%), opiate addiction (10%+), and psychopathic personality (5%) are also significant risk factors.
Conclusions:
- A small number of conditions account for a large majority of suicides.
- Depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia are leading contributors to suicide deaths in the U.S.
- Targeted interventions for these conditions could reduce suicide rates.