Suicidal ideation in a female population sample. Relationship with depression, anxiety disorder and alcohol dependence/abuse.

BACKGROUND

The aim was to analyse the association between three psychiatric disorders (anxiety disorder, depression and alcohol dependence/abuse) and past year suicidal ideation in women.

METHOD

As part of the longitudinal population-based study "Women and Alcohol in Göteborg", face-to-face interviews were administered to a stratified sample of 25-65 year old women (n = 313). Past year and lifetime diagnoses of depression, anxiety disorder and alcohol dependence/abuse were made according to DSM-III-R. Past year suicidal feelings were rated according to Paykel et al.

RESULTS

The weighted one-year prevalence of suicidal thoughts was 6.6%. Such thoughts were acknowledged by 24.2% of the women with a depressive disorder, 20% of the women with an anxiety disorder and 22.7% of those with alcohol dependence/abuse (ADA) during the past year. Depressive disorder and ADA were associated with suicidal thoughts in the univariate analysis. Such an association could not be shown for anxiety disorder. When all three disorders were entered into a logistic regression model, only depressive disorder remained associated with past year suicidal ideation. One third of the women who reported past year suicidal thoughts did not fulfil criteria for a DSM-III-R Axis I disorder during this time period.

IMPLICATIONS

Our results underline the need for assessment of suicidality even in women with subsyndromal states.