Citation

Lönnqvist J. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 34.

Affiliation

Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland. (jouko.lonnqvist@ktl.fi)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963889

Abstract

A nonfatal suicide attempt is the strongest known clinical predictor of eventual suicide. Suicides and attempted suicides are two overlapping populations that share common features, but are also distinguished by several factors. Suicide risk among suicide attempters is hundreds of times higher than in the general population. It is often estimated that about 10-15% of attempters eventually die by suicide. However, the risk is highest during the first months and years after the attempt and declines over time. Long-term follow-up studies show that a history of a suicide attempt indicates suicide risk over the entire adult lifetime. The essential risk factor for suicide is a genuine intent to die. Most male and a substantial proportion of female suicides die in their first suicide attempt, a fact that necessitates early recognition of suicide risk, particularly among males. A suicide attempt indicates a severe risk of not only suicide but premature death in general. It appears that concentrating efficient treatment only on the most suicidal patients could prevent no more than two of five premature deaths. More effort is therefore needed to prevent the excess mortality of suicide attempters by also addressing causes of death other than suicide.

Language: en