Suicide attempts in the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study.

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Suicide attempts are a significant public health concern.
• Understanding risk factors in the general population is crucial for prevention.
• Previous research has primarily focused on clinical populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify lifetime risk factors for attempted suicide in the general community.
• To estimate the prevalence of suicide attempts in a large, diverse population.
• To provide insights into non-clinical suicidal behavior.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the five-site National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study.
• Employed the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) for lifetime psychiatric disorder and suicide attempt ascertainment.
• Applied weighted logistic regression to identify significant risk factors for suicide attempts.

Main Results:

• Lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts was 2.9% among 18,571 adult respondents.
• A lifetime diagnosis of psychiatric disorder was the strongest predictor (OR = 8.4).
• Additional risk factors included female gender (OR = 3.3), separation/divorce (OR = 2.5), White ethnicity (OR = 1.7), lower socioeconomic status (ORs = 2.2, 2.3), and Los Angeles site (OR = 1.8).

Conclusions:

• Psychiatric disorders are a primary risk factor for suicide attempts in the general population.
• Demographic and socioeconomic factors also play a significant role.
• Findings underscore the importance of community-based mental health initiatives and suicide prevention strategies.