Estimation of Suicidal Behavior in Representative Epidemiologic Studies

Prevalence of reported suicidal behaviour in the general population and mental health-care staff

“…In internationally published questionnaire surveys of the adult population, lifetime prevalence of suicidal thoughts is reported at 14-33 % and past-year prevalence at 9-13 % in randomized or representative studies (Ha$ llstro$ m, 1977 ;Korczak, 1988 ;Salander Renberg, 1998 ;Vilhjalmsson et al 1998 ;Kessler et al 1999) and lifetime prevalence at 24 % (men 22 % and women 24 %) in a non-randomized study (Linehan & Laffaw, 1982). Lifetime prevalence of attempted suicide is 3-5 % in randomized studies (Ha$ llstro$ m, 1977 ;Korczak, 1988 ;Salander Renberg, 1998 ;Kessler et al 1999) and up to 10 % in non-randomized studies (Linehan & Laffaw, 1982 ;de Catanzaro, 1984), of which one reported that 4 % of men and 15 % of women have made a suicide attempt during their lifetime (Linehan & Laffaw, 1982). Pastyear prevalence of suicide attempts is reported in two Swedish randomized studies at 0n2-0n6% (Salander Renberg, 1998).…”