Citation

Voracek M. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2005; 59(5): 347-348.

Affiliation

School of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5/3, A-1010 Vienna, Austria. martin.voracek@univie.ac.at.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/jech.2004.027805

PMID

15831680

PMCID

PMC1733090

Abstract

Agerbo reports a nested case-control study of all (n = 9011) Danish midlife suicides (25-60 years of age) 1982-97. ^  He investigated sex specific midlife suicide risks associated with spousal psychiatric admission, spouse or child bereavement by suicide or other causes of death, and several sociodemographic factors. There is a wealth of original findings from this impressive population based register study. Particularly, increased suicide risks were seen after spousal psychiatric admission or spousal or child death, especially after spousal suicide. Several points of criticism regarding certain study premises and the interpretation of study findings are discussed here. In what follows, I will focus on five points: firstly, the age range restriction; secondly, the psychiatric admission criterion; thirdly, the environmental interpretations of certain findings; fourthly, the implications of assortative mating; and fifthly, the evidence for sex specific suicide risks.