Patterns of co-morbidity in male suicide completers.
BACKGROUND
Psychiatric co-morbidity is thought to be an important problem in suicide, but it has been little investigated. This study aims to investigate patterns of co-morbidity in a group of male suicide completers.


METHODS
One hundred and fifteen male suicide completers from the Greater Montreal Area and 82 matched community controls were assessed using proxy-based diagnostic interviews. Patterns of co-morbidity were investigated using latent class analysis.


RESULTS
Three subgroups of male suicide completers were identified (L2 = 171.62, df = 2012, P < 0.05). they differed significantly in the amount of co-morbidity (Kruskal-Wallis chi2 = 71.227, df = 2. P < 0.000) and exhibited different diagnostic profiles. Co-morbidity was particularly found in subjects with disorders characterized by impulsive and impulsive-aggressive traits, whereas subjects without those traits had levels of co-morbidity which were not significantly different from those of controls (chi2 = 8.17, df = 4, P = 0.086).


CONCLUSIONS
Suicide completers can be divided into at least three subgroups according to co-morbidity: a low co-morbidity group, a substance-dependent group and a group exhibiting childhood onset of psychopathology.
McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada.
C
C
Kim
A
A
Lesage
M
M
Seguin
N
N
Chawky
C
C
Vanier
O
O
Lipp
G
G
Turecki
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*