An epidemiologic investigation of potential risk factors for suicide attempts.
This is a report of new research on suicide attempts, based on an analysis of data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area surveys in the United States. Risk of making a suicide attempt during a 1-2 year observation interval in the early 1980s was estimated in relation to selected personal and behavioral attributes of 13,673 study participants who completed baseline and follow-up interviews for these surveys. Being an active case of Major Depression was associated with increased risk of suicide attempt (estimated relative odds, RO = 41; 95% CL = 6.46-262), as was active alcoholism (RO = 18; 95% CL = 2.75-118) and being separated or divorced (RO = 11; 95% CL = 1.64-77). Being a user of cocaine was associated with increased risk of making a suicide attempt (RO = 62; 95% CL = 2.51-1528), but illicit use of marijuana, sedative-hypnotics, or sympathomimetic stimulants was not (P greater than 0.30). Educational achievement was inversely associated with risk of suicide attempt at a marginal level of statistical significance (P = 0.068). These multivariable conditional logistic regression results were obtained by applying a conventional epidemiologic strategy with post-stratification of subjects into homogeneous risk sets. Limitations of the study data and the analytic strategy are discussed in relation to directions for future epidemiologic field surveys.
Petronis
K R
KR
Department of Mental Hygiene, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
Samuels
J F
JF
Moscicki
E K
EK
Anthony
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications; D004243:Divorce; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D003042:Cocaine