Factors predicting suicide among Russians in Estonia in comparison with Estonians: case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
To explore differences between suicide victims among Russian immigrants in Estonia and native Estonians, according to socio-demographic background, substance use pattern, and recent life events to find out immigration-specific factors predicting suicide.


METHODS
The psychological autopsy study included 427 people who committed suicide in 1999 and 427 randomly selected controls matched by region, gender, age, and nationality.


RESULTS
The only variable that differed significantly between Russian and Estonian suicide cases was substance use pattern. Logistic regression models showed that factors associated with suicide for both nationalities were substance dependence and abuse (Russians: odds ratio [OR], 12.9; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 4.2-39.2; Estonians: OR, 8.1; 95% CI, 3.9-16.4), economical inactivity (Russians: OR 5.5; 95% CI, 1.3-22.9; Estonians: OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3-7.1), and recent family discord (Russians: OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.1-9.9; Estonians: OR, 4.5; 95%, CI, 2.1-9.8). The variables that remained significant in the final model were having no partner (Estonians: OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.6-5.5), being unemployed (Estonians: OR, 5.5; 95% CI, 2.0-15.4), and being an abstainer (Estonians: OR, 6.7; 95% CI, 2.5-17.6) for Estonians, and somatic illness (Russians: OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.4-11.7), separation (Russians: OR, 32.3; 95% CI, 2.9-364.1), and death of a close person (Russians: OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.04-0.7) for Russians.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the predicting factors of suicide were similar among the Estonian Russians and Estonians, there were still some differences in the nature of recent life events. Higher suicide rate among Estonian Russians in 1999 could be at least partly attributable to their higher substance consumption.
Kolves
Kairi
K
Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute, Estonian Centre of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Tallinn, Estonia. kaikolves@hot.ee
Sisask
Merike
M
Anion
Liivia
L
Samm
Algi
A
Värnik
Airi
A
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012426:Russia / Q000208:ethnology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data