Psychiatric diagnoses as predictors of suicide. A comparison of diagnoses at conscription and in psychiatric care in a cohort of 50,465 young men.
In a cohort of 50,465 Swedish men conscripted for military service in 1969-70, the relative risk for suicide was 3.1 (95% Cl 2.3-4.0) among those who had a psychiatric diagnosis at conscription, and 16.7 (95% Cl 13.8-20.1) among those who had a psychiatric diagnosis in in-patient care during a 13-year follow-up. Of the diagnoses at conscription, only neurotic disorder, personality disorder and drug dependence were associated with a significantly increased risk for future suicide. Among those who were admitted to hospital, almost all in-patient diagnoses were associated with a significantly increased suicide risk. Although a psychiatric diagnosis in in-patient care was a strong predictor of suicide, only 44% of all 247 men who committed suicide had ever been treated in in-patient psychiatric care.
Allebeck
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P
Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
Allgulander
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology