MedPage Today (3/20, DePeau-Wilson ) reports, “Five distinct suicide profiles that could improve detection and treatment of co-existing health conditions and bolster suicide prevention strategies were identified in a cross-sectional study.” In the “analysis of 306,800 suicide deaths, individuals who faced physical health challenges comprised the largest profile class of the five (31.7%).”
The data indicated that “decedents with this profile (class 4) also had the lowest rates of disclosing suicidal intent (14.4%) or leaving a suicide note (25.1%).” Although “physical health conditions made up the largest profile, the remaining profiles were comprised of individuals who predominantly faced mental health or substance abuse conditions: Class 1: comorbid mental health and substance use problems (13.5%); Class 2: mental health problems (17.6%); Class 3: crisis, alcohol-related, and intimate-partner problems (18%);” and “Class 5: polysubstance problems (19.2%).”
The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.
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