Self-Reported Mental Health and its Gender Differences as a Predictor of Suicide in the Middle-Aged

To study the relation between self-reported mental health & risk of suicide, the authors prospectively followed a population-based cohort of middle-aged Norwegians. Females reported higher levels of mental distress than males. In comparison with persons reporting the fewest mental health symptoms, the adjusted hazard ratio for suicide increased from 1.8 in the moderately depressed group to 8.9 in the most depressed group. The risk difference was greatest in males. At each level of the mental health index, males had double the risk of suicide of females. This study showed a dose-response effect of self-reported mental health problems in completed suicide. (51 refs.) JA

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