To Örebro University

OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive analysis of initial suicide attempts, covering incidence, risk factors, outcomes, and healthcare use in the month before and the month after the attempts.

DESIGN: Comprehensive analysis of the Swedish population that included three designs: a retrospective cohort study to investigate incidence and healthcare use, a nested case-control study to investigate risk factors, and a matched cohort study to examine subsequent suicide attempts and mortality.

SETTING: Comprehensive Swedish national registers that include patient diagnoses from hospitals and specialist outpatient care, and cause of death information updated to the end of 2019. PARTICIPANTS: 3.7 million people born in Sweden in 1963-98 and followed from age 10 to 57 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: First lifetime suicide attempt identified in patient and death registers using ICD (international classification of diseases) codes for intentional self-harm, any self-harm with lethal methods or requiring hospital admission, or any self-harm resulting in death.

RESULTS: The lifetime risk of an initial suicide attempt in the study population was 4.6%, with greater risk in females and highest risk between ages 18 and 24. One in 10 families in Sweden had at least one family member who attempted suicide. Overdose and poisoning were the most common methods. Previous psychiatric disorders, general medical diseases, and adverse life events were associated with increased risk of initial suicide attempt, while higher socioeconomic status was associated with decreased risk. People with an initial suicide attempt were at substantially increased risk of subsequent attempts (hazard ratio 23.4), death by suicide (16.4), and all cause mortality (7.3). At least 60% of those who made an initial suicide attempt had a healthcare contact in the month before the attempt.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides comprehensive data on the incidence, risk factors, outcomes, and healthcare use of initial suicide attempts in the Swedish population, highlighting the need for systematic prevention efforts for people who have attempted suicide for the first time.