Risk of Suicide in Relation to Income Level in People Admitted to Hospital With Mental Illness: Nested Case-Control Study

The authors present findings on 811 cases of suicide & 80,787 matched control subjects in a population-based study which aimed to gain further insight into the association between social position & mental disorder. The Danish medical registers on vital statistics were used to establish the random, 5% population based sample of 811 people who had completed suicide between 1982-1994. The main variables included were annual gross income, grouped into fourths, & hospital admission status in relation to mental illness. Socioeconomic & marital status were also included in the analysis. In contrast to findings in the general population, the suicide risk for patients admitted to hospital with a mental illness fell significantly with decreasing income. The authors briefly speculate upon some possible reasons for this finding. A commentary by Dr. David Gunnell follows. (10 refs.)