Citation

Niederkrotenthaler T, Mittendorfer-Rutz E, Mehlum L, Qin P, Björkenstam E. J. Affect. Disord. 2020; 265: 263-271.

Affiliation

Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health and California Center for Population Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.013

PMID

32090750

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating how suicide attempting refugees and non-refugee migrants differ from Swedish-born individuals in terms of re-attempts and suicide are missing. It remains unknown how mental disorders and labour market marginalization (LMM) impact on these associations.

METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study included Swedish residents aged 20-64 with suicide attempt in 2004-2012. In total, 42,684 individuals including 2017 refugees, and 2544 non-refugee migrants were included and followed until December 31, 2016. Risks of re-attempt and suicide were calculated as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and adjusted for important confounders. Stratified analyses were to assess if mental disorders or LMM modified these associations.

RESULTS: In the adjusted models, refugees had an adjusted HR (aHR) of suicide re-attempt of 0.74 (CI: 0.67-0.81), and an aHR of 0.67 (CI: 0.53-0.86) for suicide death. These estimates were very similar to those of non-refugee migrants. Refugees and non-refugee migrants with suicide attempt had a lower prevalence of specialised health care due to mental disorders compared to Swedish-born attempters (48%, 44% and 61%, respectively). Mental disorders and LMM in terms of long-term sickness absence and disability pension increased the risk of re-attempt and suicide in all three groups. LIMITATIONS: Only suicide attempts and mental disorders resulting in specialized in-and outpatient care were registered.

CONCLUSION: Migrants show considerably lower risks of re-attempt and suicide than Swedish-born individuals, with no differences between migrant groups. Despite vast differences in the prevalence of specific mental disorders, the role of mental disorders in the pathways to re-attempt and suicide does not appear to differ considerably between these groups.

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Labour; Mental Disorders; Migration; Refugees; Suicide; Sweden