Citation

Corcoran P. Eur. J. Public Health 2009; 19(6): 583-585.

Affiliation

National Suicide Research Foundation, 1 Perrott Avenue, College Road, Cork, Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/eurpub/ckp166

PMID

19843598

Abstract

The impact of widowhood on suicide and accident mortality in Ireland was investigated using Poisson regression analysis applied to routine data relating to all 10 561 suicidal and accidental deaths of married or widowed persons aged at least 35 years in Ireland during 1986-2005. Mortality rates were almost always higher among the widowed and often by a 2-fold, statistically significant difference. The excess mortality was equivalent to 2083 or 57.6% of all suicidal or accidental deaths of widowed persons in 1986-2005. Routine contact with recently widowed persons by public health professionals may be warranted with a view to reducing their excess mortality.

Language: en