Advancing early detection of suicide? A national study examining socio-demographic factors, antecedent stressors and long-term history of self-harm

Abstract

Background: A range of factors including mental disorders, adverse events and history of self-harm are associated with suicide risk. Further examination is needed of the characteristics of suicides which occur without established risk factors, using national surveillance systems.

Methods: Data on all suicides in Ireland from 2015 to 2017 were drawn from the Irish Probable Suicide Deaths Study (IPSDS). Variables examined included socio-demographics, psychiatric history and precipitant stressors. Suicide data were linked with data on prior self-harm from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland (NSHRI). Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify sub-groups of suicide cases.

Results: Of the 1809 individuals who died by suicide, 401 (22.2 %) had a history of hospital-treated self-harm. Four distinct profiles of suicides were identified. One group was marked by high levels of prior self-harm and mental health conditions. Two of the groups included few individuals with a history of self-harm but had notably high levels of mental health conditions. These two groups had relatively high levels of reported chronic pain or illness but differed in terms of socio-demographics. The final group, predominantly male, had markedly low levels of mental health conditions or self-harm but high levels of personal stressors and substance use.

Limitations: The use of coronial data may be limited by bias in the collecting of information from the deceased's family members.

Conclusions: A sub-group of suicide cases exists without any psychiatric or self-harm history but with salient occupational or health-related proximal stressors. Suicide prevention interventions should include occupational settings and should promote mental health literacy.

Keywords: Mental disorders; Self-harm; Suicide.