Suicidal risk factors and completed suicide: meta-analyses based on psychological autopsy studies
Open accessAbstract
The purpose of the present review is to evaluate the effects of common risk factors for suicide by meta-analyses using data extracted from studies based on the psychological autopsy method. We focused on five common risk factors of suicide: substance-related disorders, mood disorders, adverse marital status, adverse employment status, and self-harm behaviors. A total of 24 articles were identified from MEDLINE in which the crude odds ratio (OR) could be calculated for the above five risk factors through 30 April 2007, using such search keywords as "suicide," "psychological autopsy," and "case-control study." Overall, both substance-related disorders [OR = 5.24; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.30-8.31] and mood disorders [OR = 13.42; 95% CI = 8.05-22.37] were strongly associated with suicidal risk. Suicidal attempt and deliberate self-harm, which can directly lead to completed suicide, have been shown to be very strongly associated with suicidal risk [OR = 16.33; 95% CI = 7.51-35.52]. Effects of social factors such as adverse marital and employment status were relatively small. As substance-related disorders and mood disorders were strongly associated with an increased risk of completed suicide, the comorbidity of these two disorders should be paid a maximum attention. The effective prevention of suicide depends on whether we can successfully incorporate these personal factors as well as social factors into an adequate multi-factorial model.
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Previous reviews of psychological autopsy studies have been limited in scope (primarily focusing on mental disorders) and samples (including selected populations such as psychiatric patients).
“To our knowledge, five previous reviews have quantitatively summarised findings from psychological autopsy studies,5–9 but these have been limited in scope (primarily focusing on mental disorders) and samples (including selected populations such as psychiatric patients).”
From Risk factors for suicide in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological autopsy studies (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
The inclusion of studies with controls who died by causes other than suicide is consistent with previous reviews of psychological autopsy studies.
“The inclusion of studies with controls who died by causes other than suicide is consistent with previous reviews of psychological autopsy studies.5–9”
From Risk factors for suicide in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological autopsy studies (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
Bibliographical searches were complemented by manual searches of reference lists of included studies and previous systematic reviews.
“Bibliographical searches were complemented by manual searches of reference lists of included studies and previous systematic reviews.5–9”
From Risk factors for suicide in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological autopsy studies (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
Previous reviews of psychological autopsy studies have not captured the breadth of individual-level risk factors for suicide and mainly focused on the contribution of mental disorders to suicide risk.
“First, previous reviews of psychological autopsy studies5–9 have not captured the breadth of individual-level risk factors for suicide, and instead mainly focused on the contribution of mental disorders to suicide risk.”
From Risk factors for suicide in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological autopsy studies (2022) · cites this paper as [7]
Psychological autopsy studies indicate that mood disorders and substance use disorders are major risks for suicide.
“Information collected on persons who have died by suicide (“psychological autopsy”) indicates that mood disorders and substance use disorders are the major risks.23”
From Suicide (2020) · cites this paper as [23]
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- Authors
- Yoshimasu, K., Kiyohara, C., Miyashita, K., & The Stress Research Group of the Japanese Society for Hygiene
- Affiliations
- Wakayama Medical University (JP)
- Kyushu University (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Yoshimasu, Kouichi
- Venue
- Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
- Published
- 2008-06-19
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 243-256
- ISSN
- 1342-078X (ISSN-L)
- 1347-4715
- PMC
- PMC2698248
- OpenAlex
- W2125833925
- Cited by
- 375
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 8.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Keywords
- suicide mortality, suicide risk factors, psychological autopsy, substance-related disorders, mood disorders, self-harm, suicide attempts, comorbidities, suicide prevention
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