Socioeconomic factors and suicide risk in Polish cancer patients – a population-based cohort study exploring associations and implications

Abstract

Introduction. This study aimed to explore socioeconomic factors influencing suicide rate in Polish cancer patients. Material and methods. Data on cancer cases and socioeconomic covariates were obtained from the Polish National Cancer Registry and Statistics Poland. Suicide rates were calculated for each year. Multivariable linear regression analyses explored associations between unemployment, income, university education, access to physicians overall and to psychiatry hospitals, and suicide incidence. Results. The study included 1.43 million cancer patients diagnosed between 2009 and 2019. Among them, 830 suicides were identified, with higher rates among men. Income per capita and higher education degrees were significant predictors of suicide among male cancer patients (p = 0.05 and 0.01, respectively). However, no significant associations were found for female cancer patients. The regression models explained 13% of the variation in male suicide incidence. Conclusions. Lower income and higher education increase suicide risk in male cancer patients, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.