Lower risk of suicide during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
The authors determined the risk of suicide during pregnancy.


METHODS
The autopsy reports of all female residents of New York City, 10-44 years old, who committed suicide from 1990 to 1993 were assessed for pregnancy. These data were compared with age-adjusted and race-adjusted standardized mortality ratios for women, which were calculated by using population data from the 1990 U.S. Census as well as data obtained from the New York City Health Department on the number of live births, spontaneous abortions, and induced abortions.


RESULTS
The standardized mortality ratio for suicide during pregnancy was 0.33; that is, the number of suicides of pregnant women was only one-third of that expected.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the mood swings and stresses associated with pregnancy and impending childbirth, pregnant women have a significantly lower risk of suicide than women of childbearing age who are not pregnant.
Marzuk
P M
PM
Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Tardiff
K
K
Leon
A C
AC
Hirsch
C S
CS
Portera
L
L
Hartwell
N
N
Iqbal
M I
MI
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D019352:Censuses; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D044469:Racial Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology