PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH, ETHNICITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC-FACTORS AMONG SUICIDES IN STOCKHOLM

The suicide statistics for two high-income areas and two low-income ar eas of Stockholm county, with, respectively, low and high proportions of immigrant residents, were compared on health and socioeconomic fact ors to ascertain whether differences in such indicators might explain the overrepresentation of immigrants previously found by us in cases o f definite and undetermined suicide. The findings can be summarised as follows. (1) The suicide rate was higher in the low-income areas, irr espective of ethnicity, and highest in the immigrant population of the low-income areas which accounted for 82% of all immigrants in the are as studied. (2) The suicide rate was inversely correlated with the res pective figures for mean municipality-income indices. (3) Over the 4-y r. study period, the annual suicide rate increased among immigrants an d decreased among native Swedes. (4) Of all categories investigated, i mmigrants from the low-income areas were characterised by the highest suicide rare (39 per 100,000) and the lowest mean annual income among the suicide victims (77.7), and native Swedes from the high-income are as by thr lowest suicide rate (16.2) and the highest mean income (254. 1). (5) The low-income areas manifested also lower mean duration of ho spitalisation in primary care and psychiatric facilities, although the frequency of psychiatric consultations was higher in low-than in high -income areas. Interrelations among low income, immigrant status, and poor benefit of psychiatric care suggest that proneness to suicidal be haviour among immigrants may have a social psychiatric explanation.