Risk and predictors of attempted and completed suicide in patients with hematological malignancies. Issue 11 (30th April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mohammadi, Mohammad; Moradi, Tahereh; Bottai, Matteo; Reutfors, Johan; Cao, Yang; Smedby, Karin E.
• Is Part Of: Psycho-oncology. Volume 23:Issue 11(2014)
• Page Start: 1276
• Page End: 1282
• Publication Date: 2014-04-30
• Subjects: Cancer -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- psychology -- Periodicals; 616.9940019
• DOI: 10.1002/pon.3561
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1057-9249

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="pon3561-sec-0020" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Hematological malignancies can cause high levels of distress, but few studies have assessed risk of suicidal behavior among these patients.</p> </sec> <sec id="pon3561-sec-0021" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>We evaluated risk of attempted and completed suicide in a cohort of 46, 309 patients diagnosed with malignant lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia in Sweden 1992 to 2009 and 107, 736 cancer‐free subjects, using Poisson regression.</p> </sec> <sec id="pon3561-sec-0022" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>In all, 146 suicide attempts and 63 completed suicides occurred during a median follow up of 3.1 years (maximum 19 years). The risk of completed suicide was 3.5‐fold increased among patients with myeloma [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 3.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.05−6.03] and 1.9‐fold increased among patients with lymphoma (IRR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.31−2.67) but not significantly increased among patients with leukemia. Risk of attempted suicide was increased among patients with myeloma (IRR = 2.13, CI = 1.39−3.26) and lymphoma (IRR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.07−1.69). Both male and female patients were at increased risk of attempted as well as completed suicide. A pre‐malignant history of mental disorders conferred 15‐fold to 30‐fold increased risks, but elevated risks were also observed among patients without such history.</p> </sec> <sec id="pon3561-sec-0023" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Suicidal actions in patients with hematological malignancies have high suicidal intent, and that subgroups of patients should be monitored for suicidal ideation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</p> </sec> </abstract>