Citation

Prabhakar D, Peterson EL, Hu Y, Rossom RC, Lynch FL, Lu CY, Waitzfelder BE, Owen-Smith AA, Williams LK, Beck A, Simon GE, Ahmedani BK. Psychosomatics 2018; 59(1): 58-61.

Affiliation

Center for Health Policy & Health Services Research, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psym.2017.08.001

PMID

28890116

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients diagnosed with skin conditions have a higher risk of comorbid psychiatric conditions and suicide-related outcomes such as suicidal ideations and behaviors. There is paucity of evidence in the US general population about the risk of suicide death in patients with dermatologic conditions.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control study to investigate the risk of suicide death in patients receiving care for dermatologic conditions. This study involved 8 US health systems. A total of 2674 individuals who died by suicide (cases) were matched with 267,400 general population control individuals.

RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, and any mental health or substance use condition, we did not find an association between death by suicide and any skin condition including conditions where clinicians are generally concerned about the risk such as acne (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.04, p = 0.814), atopic dermatitis (aOR = 0.77, p = 0.28), and psoriasis (aOR = 0.91, p = 0.64).

CONCLUSION: This case-control study provides no evidence of increased risk of death by suicide in individuals with major skin disorders in the US general population.

Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Skin disorders; acne; dermatitis; psoriasis; suicide