title: Mental disorders in cancer suicides.
abstract: Mental disorders among suicide victims who had suffered from cancer were investigated using psychological autopsy data on all suicides in Finland over 1 year. Retrospective DSM-III-R consensus diagnoses were assigned to all 60 cancer suicides and to 60 age- and sex-matched comparison suicides without a cancer history. Depressive syndromes were equally common along cancer suicides (80%) and others (82%). Alcohol dependence and personality disorders were more frequent among noncancer suicides. Major depression and substance abuse were more common among victims with cancer in remission than in terminal stages. Only a small minority of cancer suicides seem to occur in the absence of mental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Henriksson
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Isometsä
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Hietanen
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Aro
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lönnqvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012803:Sick Role; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology