Familial Clustering of Suicidal Behaviour and Psychopathology in Young Suicide Attempters: a Register-Based Nested Case Control Study

A population-based record-linkage study with a nested case control design was done. 14,440 individuals hospitalized due to a suicide attempt & 144,400 matched controls born in Sweden between 1968-1980 were followed up until December 1999. Among the strongest independent familial risk factors for youth suicide were siblings’ & parental suicide attempt. Nearly half of all suicide attempts could be attributed to familial psychopathology, familial suicide attempt & completion, & own psychopathology. There appears to be an independent effect of familial suicide & psychopathology on youth suicide attempts beyond the transmission of mental illness. (31 refs.)