Abstract
Are Cancer Patients at Higher Suicide Risk Than the General Population? A Nationwide Register Study in Sweden From 1965 to 1999
Bjorkenstam C~~Edberg A~~et al
This study examined whether suicide is more prevalent among cancer patients than among the general population in Sweden, whether the association changes over time, & whether the risk depends on the severity of the cancer. A register study analyzed standardized suicide rates for different cancer sites by gender, time periods, & 5-year survival rates. Findings supported the hypothesis that cancer patients are at greater risk of dying by suicide than the general population. The severity of the cancer increased the suicide risk. More attention to cancer patients’ psychological state & care situation is called for. (17 refs.)