Psychosocial characteristics as potential predictors of suicide in adults: an overview of the evidence with new results from prospective cohort studies.
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Authors
Shipley, Martin
Whitley, Elise
Gunnell, David
Publication Date
2018-01-22Journal Title
Translational psychiatry
ISSN
2158-3188
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
22
Language
eng
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Physical Medium
Electronic
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Batty, G. D., Kivimäki, M., Bell, S., Gale, C. R., Shipley, M., Whitley, E., & Gunnell, D. (2018). Psychosocial characteristics as potential predictors of suicide in adults: an overview of the evidence with new results from prospective cohort studies.. Translational psychiatry, 8 (1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-017-0072-8
Abstract
In this narrative overview of the evidence linking psychosocial factors with future suicide risk, we collect results from published reports of prospective studies with verified suicide events (mortality or, less commonly, hospitalisation) alongside analyses of new data. There is abundant evidence indicating that low socioeconomic position, irrespective of the economic status of the country in question, is associated with an increased risk of suicide, including the suggestion that the recent global economic recession has been responsible for an increase in suicide deaths and, by proxy, attempts. Social isolation, low scores on tests of intelligence, serious mental illness (both particularly strongly), chronic psychological distress, and lower physical stature (a marker of childhood exposures) were also consistently related to elevated suicide rates. Although there is some circumstantial evidence for psychosocial stress, personality disposition, and early life characteristics such as bullying being risk indices for suicide, the general paucity of studies means it is not currently possible to draw clear conclusions about their status. Most suicide intervention strategies have traditionally not explored the modification of psychosocial factors, partly because evidence linking psychosocial factors with suicide risk is, as shown herein, in its infancy, or, where is does exist, for instance for intelligence and personality disposition, the characteristics in question do not appear to be malleable.
Keywords
Humans, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Prospective Studies, Suicide, Stress, Psychological, Social Isolation, Mental Disorders, Age Factors, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Adult, Global Health
Sponsorship
MRC (MR/L003120/1)
British Heart Foundation (RG/08/014/24067)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-017-0072-8
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/270986
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