Risk Factors for Suicide in Adults Aged 30-49: a Psychological Autopsy Study in Hong Kong

The aims of this study were to identify & examine the magnitude of the risk factors for middle-aged suicide among Hong Kong citizens, to determine the similarities & applicability of Western findings into the local situation, & to recommend culturally specific, evidence-based preventive & intervention strategies. Using a case-control psychological autopsy methodology, 85 individuals who died by suicide & 85 age-& gender-matched control subjects were compared. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified risk factors that were common in middle age suicide in Hong Kong. In order to reduce the likelihood of the larger population developing greater suicidal risk, a public health approach to suicide prevention is considered to be more appropriate than a clinical approach.