Suicidal Ideation in the Finnish General Population. A 12-Month Follow-Up Study

This study investigated the incidence, prevalence, & persistence of & recovery from suicide ideation in a sample of the Finnish general population. Postal questionnaires were mailed to 1593 subjects at baseline & on follow-up, 12 months later. The 12-month incidence (4.6%) & prevalence of suicide ideation (14.7%) was higher in men than in women. 69% of men & 59% of women who had suicide ideation at baseline continued to have suicidal thoughts at follow-up. Ideation & severity of depression associated strongly. Over half of the men & women who had persistent suicide ideation had not visited any health services for help with psychological distress during the follow-up period. Daily smoking was associated with a decreased risk of recovery from ideation. (32 refs.) JA