Psychosomatic Medicine Faster Service from Outside North America
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Viilo, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Räsänen, P. K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Viilo, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Räsänen, P. K.
Related Collections
Right arrow Suicide or Suicidal Behavior
Right arrow Depression
Right arrow Other Psychiatric Disorders
Psychosomatic Medicine 67:241-245 (2005)
© 2005 American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Lifetime Prevalences of Physical Diseases and Mental Disorders in Young Suicide Victims

Kaisa M. Viilo, BSc, Markku J. Timonen, MD, PhD, Helinä H. Hakko, PhD, Terttu Särkioja, MD, PhD, V. Benno Meyer-Rochow, PhD and Pirkko K. Räsänen, MD, PhD

From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu (K.M.V., M.J.T., P.K.R.), Finland; Oulu Health Center (M.J.T.), City of Oulu, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital (H.H.H., P.K.R.), Finland; Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Oulu (T.S.), Finland; School of Engineering & Science, International University Bremen (IUB) (V.B.M.-R.), Bremen, Germany; and Department of Physiology, University of Oulu (V.B.M.-R.), Finland.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Helinä Hakko, Oulu University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Box 26, 90029 OYS, Finland. E-mail: helina.hakko{at}oulu.fi

Objective: Evaluation was done of a possible link between psychiatric and physical illnesses in suicide victims 25 years of age or younger.

Methods: This was a follow-up study based on a 13-year database (n = 1,585) of all suicides committed during the years 1988 to 2000 in northern Finland with linkage to national hospital discharge registers. The setting for the study was the province of Oulu, located in northern Finland. Subjects comprised 202 male and 27 female suicide victims aged 25 years or less.

Results: Despite the young age of the suicide victims, lifetime prevalence of physical illness was about 70% in both males and females. In relation to mental disorders, female suicide victims were affected significantly more (45%) than their male counterparts (21%). About 27% of the subjects with physical illnesses had also suffered from mental disorders, but the respective proportion among those without any physical illness was only 7%. An increased prevalence of mental disorders was found in victims with diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and digestive systems. Furthermore, increased incidences of mental disorders were also noticed in connection with injuries, poisonings, and symptoms or signs of infectious diseases. Prevalence of mental disorders in these physical disease categories varied from 25% to 44%.

Conclusion: We recommend a greater attention to young people with physical illnesses and other symptoms in the hope that such screening may lead to an early recognition of psychiatric disorders and suicidal tendencies.

Key Words: physical disorders • suicide • depression • young people

Abbreviations: FHDR = Finnish Hospital Discharge Register; ICD = International Classification of Diseases.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the American Psychosomatic Society