Low intelligence test scores in 18 year old men and risk of suicide: cohort study

被引:117
作者
Gunnell, D
Magnusson, PKE
Rasmussen, F [1 ]
机构
[1] Karolinska Inst, Dept Publ Hlth Sci, Child & Adolescent Publ Hlth Epidemiol Grp, SE-17176 Stockholm, Sweden
[2] Univ Bristol, Dept Social Med, Bristol BS8 2PR, Avon, England
[3] Uppsala Univ, Rudbeck Lab, Dept Genet & Pathol, S-75105 Uppsala, Sweden
来源
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL | 2005年 / 330卷 / 7484期
关键词
D O I
10.1136/bmj.38310.473565.8F
中图分类号
R5 [内科学];
学科分类号
1002 ; 100201 ;
摘要
Objective To examine the association between intelligence test scores in men, measured at age 18, and subsequent suicide. Design Record linkage study of the Swedish military service conscription register (1968-94) with the multi-generation register, cause of death register, and census data. Four tests were performed. at conscription covering logic, language, spatial, and technical skills. Setting Sweden. Participants 987 308 Swedish men followed up for 5-26 years. Main outcome measure Suicide. Results 2811 Suicides occurred during follow up. The risk of suicide was two to three times higher in those with lowest compared with the highest test scores. The strongest associations were seen with the logic test: for each unit increase in test score the risk of suicide decreased by 12% (95% confidence interval 10% to 14%). Associations were only slightly attenuated when we controlled for parents' socioeconomic position. Greatest risks were seen among poorly performing offspring of well educated parents. Conclusions Performance in intelligence tests is strongly related to subsequent risk of suicide in men. This may be due to the importance of cognitive ability in either the aetiology of serious mental disorder or an individual's capacity to solve problems while going through an acute life crisis or suffering from mental illness.
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页码:167 / 170A
页数:5
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