Citation

Bartlett CJ, Gunnell D, Harrison G, Moore L. Psychol. Med. 2002; 32(6): 1131-1136.

Affiliation

Department of Social Medicine/MRC Health Services Research Collaboration, University of Bristol.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12214793

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Suicide rates, anxiety/depression scores and stress scores are routinely used as mental health indicators in populations, but their inter-relationships have not been explored. Our aim was to explore the association of suicide rates with anxiety/depression and stress scores, while also referring to deprivation scores, which are known to be linked to suicide rates. METHODS: We undertook an ecological analysis of English Health Authorities, regressing suicide rates (1993-1994), on General Health Questionnaire and stress scores (1994), and also on Jarman deprivation scores (1991). RESULTS: Overall, Jarman deprivation score was a better predictor of suicide rate than the psychological distress measures. There were no statistically significant associations between suicide rates and GHQ scores, although there was a weak association between suicide rate and mean stress level in women. CONCLUSIONS: Suicide rates, though important in themselves, are not reliable indicators of the levels of neurotic symptoms or stress in populations. Suicide rates are more strongly associated with area-based measures of social disadvantage, though a possible stress-suicide relationship in women could be investigated further.

Language: en