The prevalence of suicidal ideation in the general population: results from the Outcome of Depression International Network (ODIN) study.
BACKGROUND
Suicidal ideation is believed to be part of a constellation of suicidal behaviours that culminates in suicide. There is little information on the cross-national prevalence of all suicidal ideation or of serious suicidal ideation in spite of its likely public health importance.


METHODS
A two-stage screening approach of over 12,000 adults from the general population were evaluated by face to face interview to identify those meeting ICD-10 criteria for depressive disorders at eight sites in five European countries. This study is a cross-sectional analysis of item 9 (suicidal ideation) of the Beck depression inventory from the total screened sample.


RESULTS
The standardised period prevalence for all suicidal ideation varied from 1.1 to 19.8% while for serious suicidal ideation there was much less variation. Examining the inter-relationships between all suicide ideation, serious suicide ideation, depressive disorders and suicide failed to support a seamless transition from suicide ideation through depression and serious ideation to suicide.


CONCLUSIONS
Strategies to prevent suicide should be tailored to take account of site specific differences in its aetiology and understanding the path from suicidal ideation through depression to suicide is crucial to this.
Casey
Patricia
P
Department of Psychiatry, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St., Dublin 7, Ireland. profcasey@esatclear.ie
Dunn
Graham
G
Kelly
Brendan D
BD
Lehtinen
Ville
V
Dalgard
Odd S
OS
Dowrick
Christopher
C
Ayuso-Mateos
Jose Luis
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*