Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Suicide: Findings From a Swedish National Cohort Study

Cox regressions were used to calculate interaction effects of gender for childhood & parental risk factors for 8815 suicides in a national cohort of 2.47 million Swedish people born between 1946-1968. Low parental socioeconomic status increased suicide risk only for men while living in a metropolitan area increased the risk only for women. Parental psychotic or affective disorder increased suicide risk more strongly for women than men. The mechanisms linking childhood urbanicity to increased risk of suicide in adult women stand out as an important research area for the future. (21 refs.)