Both self-report and diagnostic interview for anxiety disorder reveal suicidal ideation in a population-based study

Abstract

Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts are associated with mental disorders, especially with depression. A random sample representative of the general adult population living in Finland participated in a nationwide health examination survey. Of the 25-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25), the item asking suicidal ideation (“To what extent have you been troubled in the last 7 days thoughts of ending your life?“) was used for the assessment of suicidal ideation. Mental disorders were assessed with a self-report during the interview and verified with the Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). Their contribution to suicidal ideation (n ​= ​4387) was analyzed using adjusted logistic regression models. Anxiety disorders (OR ​= ​6.65, p ​< ​0.001), depressive disorders (OR ​= ​3.95, p ​< ​0.001) and alcohol use disorders (OR ​= ​2.75, p ​= ​0.031) were associated with suicidal ideation after adjustment for the total alcohol consumption (grams per year), age (in years), gender (female or male), education level (basic, middle, or high), and region of residence (five catchment areas of university hospitals covering the geographical area of the country). Any anxiety disorder, social phobia, dysthymia, and generalized anxiety disorder were associated most strongly with suicidal ideation in this rank order.