Citation

Cerel J, Knox KL. Evid. Based Ment. Health 2005; 8(3): 86.

Affiliation

University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16043628

Abstract

Design: Retrospective cohort study. Follow up period: Five to 26 years from the date of military conscription to the date of suicide, emigration, or 31 December 1999, whichever was first. Setting: Swedish military service conscripts between 1968 and 1994. People: 987 308 Swedish men aged over 18 years who conscripted for military service, and for whom a full set of intelligence test results and sociodemographic information were available. Risk factors: Intelligence test scores (logic/general intelligence; verbal; visuospatial; technical/mechanical) partitioned into low, medium, and high scores. Outcomes: Suicide (ICD-8 to ICD-10; codes E950-9 and X60-84) and unexplained deaths (ICD-8 to ICD-10; E980-9 and Y10-34). After adjustment for age, year of birth, test centre, parentsâ?? socioeconomic status, and education, there were significant negative associations between all four test scores and risk of suicide. The associations with verbal, visuospatial, and technical/mechanical test results were greatly attenuated when correlation between test scores was controlled.