SUICIDES AFTER PREGNANCY IN FINLAND, 1987-94 - REGISTER LINKAGE STUDY

Objective-To determine rates of suicide associated with pregnancy by t he type of pregnancy. Design-Register linkage study. information on su icides in women of reproductive age was Linked with the Finnish birth, abortion, and hospital discharge registers to find out how many women who committed suicide had had a completed pregnancy during her last y ear of life. Setting-Nationwide data from Finland. Subjects-Women who committed suicide in 1987-94. Results-There were 73 suicides associate d with pregnancy, representing 5.4% of all suicides in women in this a ge group. The mean annual suicide rate was 11.3 per 100 000. The suici de rate associated with birth was significantly lower (5.9) and the ra tes associated with miscarriage (18.1) and induced abortion (34.7) wer e significantly higher than in the population. The risk associated wit h birth was higher among teenagers and that associated with abortion w as increased in all age groups. Women who had committed a suicide tend ed to come from lower social classes and were more Likely to be unmarr ied than other women who had had a completed pregnancy. Conclusions-Th e increased risk of suicide after an induced abortion indicates either common risk factors for both or harmful effects of induced abortion o n mental health.